The Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health
The Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health (CERAH) was established at Lakehead University in 1992. The Centre brings together professionals, educators, researchers, students, caregivers and older adults in a collaborative effort to learn more about the aging process and its relation to health and well-being.
CERAH researchers generate knowledge to advance health and social care for an aging population. Using both traditional and community-based participatory methodologies, research is conducted by centre staff, graduate students and research affiliates representing anthropology, epidemiology, kinesiology, medicine, nursing, psychology, public health, social work, and sociology.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is the approach used by CERAH to develop and administer a wide range of research, academic and continuing education programs. CERAH also works cooperatively with a variety of programs to facilitate community development. In conjunction with an extensive regional network of committees and community partners, CERAH implements its vision for exemplary practice in the field of health and aging.
5 Principles
Over the past fifteen years, CERAH has demonstrated success in capacity development of health and social services with these five principles (CCAIR) guiding the education initiatives:
- Collaboration: education is planned and delivered in partnership with local and regional service providers.
- Capacity-building: development of interprofessional experts to be local resource people, and providing ongoing consultation and education materials.
- Accessibility: education delivered centrally (Thunder Bay), onsite in organizations throughout Northwestern Ontario, and via telehealth, using distributed learning model.
- Interprofessional format: including family physicians, long-term care and interdisciplinary community care professionals, paraprofessionals and volunteers; using interprofessional and discipline-specific learning approach.
- Responsiveness: curriculum designed to meet needs of primary care and generalist providers, with timely program reaction using appropriate formats.
Partnerships
CERAH has been collaborating and partnering with First Nations and Aboriginal partners since the Centre was established in 1992. A partnership exists since 2002 with the Kenora Chiefs Advisory Inc. and the Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre on a project to develop palliative care programs in thirteen First Nation communities in the Treaty 3 area. Through this project, a needs assessment, community education, and community development to develop local palliative care teams has been undertaken. A curriculum has been developed for use in First Nations communities to teach local health and social service workers about palliative care. It was field tested in a workshop in Dryden for Treaty 3 communities (March, 2008) and in Gull Bay First Nation (April, 2008). Funding has been obtained from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, the Northern Cancer Research Foundation and recently, the Public Health Agency of Canada.
For the last fifteen years, staff members of Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, and Sioux Lookout Menno-Ya-Win Health Centre have participated in CERAH’s palliative care and geriatric education programs both face to face in Thunder Bay and via video-conferencing. At the request of KO Telemedicine, a series of six educational videoconferences on palliative care was offered between October 2007 and March 2008. Approximately eighteen communities in the far north participated in these teleconferences.
Staff of CERAH has worked with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to develop curriculum materials for medical students related to palliative and end of life care, including care for First Nations people who are dying (Module 111). Dr. Kelley has facilitated the teaching of this material over the past three years.
CERAH has demonstrated success in capacity development of health and social services through the development and delivery of numerous education initiatives. CERAH’s reputation of collaboration, accessibility and responsiveness surpasses the region and reaches to provincial and national levels. CERAH has established formal partnerships with numerous health organizations such as Élisabeth Bruyère Research Institute, Kenora Chief Advisory, Northwest Community Care Access Centre, Seniors Health Research Transfer Network, St. Joseph’s Care Group, Thunder Bay Medical Society and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. CERAH has/is also collaborating on numerous projects with Aboriginal and First Nations organizations such as the Kenora Chiefs Advisory Inc, the Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, and Sioux Lookout Menno-Ya-Win Health Centre. For this proposed project, CERAH is partnering with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Internally, CERAH will also collaborate with Beverly Sabourin, Vice-Provost of Aboriginal Initiatives at Lakehead University.
