Zoomer Week In Review

It’s one of the biggest unanswered questions about the pandemic. How and where did it start? Last year, the most commonly accepted explanation was that it originated in the wet market in Wuhan. The thinking on that it changing but it bothered Toronto investigative journalist Elaine Dewar from the start. Libby Znaimer talked with her about her new book: On the Origin of the Deadliest Pandemic in 100 Years: An Investigation. AND CARP convened a huge virtual meeting to mark National Seniors Day on October 1. It was billed an emergency meeting because of their take on the approach or lack thereof to older Canadians by all parties in the recent election. Libby chatted with David Cravit, CARP’s Chief Membership Officer.

Was it a 600 million much ado about nothing? The dust is settling on the federal election that did little to shift the balance of power in Ottawa. Call it groundhog day, or deja vu, but Justin Trudeau returns to power again to form a minority government. No leaders have stepped down, but Trudeau failed to secure a majority, Erin O'Toole and Jagmeet Singh failed to achieve breakthroughs for the Conservatives and N-D-P, and the leaders of the People's Party of Canada and the Green Party failed to win their seats. Zoomer News VP Libby Znaimer assembled a group of political pundits to weigh in. AND Citing air pollution as one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, the World Health Organization has just introduced new guidelines aimed at reducing deaths from key pollutants that cause cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The agency believes these new stricter rules could save millions of lives after finding air pollution’s impact on health is far worse than previously thought. We reache

“Oops I forgot to Save Money” - The book title captures a conundrum that many people, especially women, face. It’s a big problem that author, actor and screenwriter Monica Parker owned up to and overcame. We talked about her story. AND When the election was called he was unfamiliar to most Canadians and not especially popular even with Conservatives. But Erin O’Toole has led his Conservative Party to a dead heat with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals. I talked with him earlier this week about his plans for older Canadians.

There are some events, when recalled, that take us back to that day. The assassinations of the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert, or Martin Luther King Jr. And the 9-11 attacks are another such tragedy. Two of the four coordinated terrorist attacks targeted New York's World Trade Center, 20 years ago. Sharing his recollection now, Hans Gerhardt, former general manager of Toronto's Sutton Place, who lost one of his sons, Ralph, who worked at the World Trade Centre. AND As many Canadians and their families know, COVID-19 has exhausted so many healthcare workers, including nurses that many want out. And while the country faces an urgent shortage, nursing schools are having to turn away some of those wishing to make it a career. Bob Komsic spoke with Linda Silas, president of the federation of nurses unions that represents almost 200-thousand unionized nurses and nursing students.

This time of year marks an annual rite of passage for many as parents send their kids off to university for the first time. Heading back to school no matter the age, often brings its own challenges and one of them this time is anxiety about being separated from families after months of togetherness. Now add into the mix, a pandemic with worries about distancing, vaccines and new ways to socialize. It can all seem overwhelming for parents and students. Dr. Sam Klarreich is a Toronto psychologist with some advice on how to mitigate these extra challenges. AND Bird watching? Or cooking? Just two popular courses offered for older adults this year thru the Toronto District School Board’s Learn 4 life program that serves older adults. Register now for not only credit programs but general interest courses and it seems the pandemic has boosted the number of older adults wanting to learn something new. Belkis Romero is a continuing education program manager with the Toronto District School Board.

Canada has ended its airlift mission from Afghanistan but Ehsan Saadat, his wife, and four children are among the lucky ones who got out in time. Their escape to Canada had to be kept a secret even from immediate family members because the mission was just too dangerous. The 33-year-old researcher on women's rights put him at risk, but just days after applying to come to Canada the family of six boarded a plane just seven days before the country fell to the Taliban and are starting their new lives in Kitchener. AND Once told he would never graduate high school, Dr. Alika Lafontaine is set to become the first ever indigenous president of the Canadian Medical Association next year. He struggled in school but credits his success to mentors along the way, including his parents and siblings. After witnessing systemic racism in Canadian health, the Grande Prairie Alberta anesthesiologist created an app where patients can anonymously report racism.

More mail-in ballots, delayed results, and different polling places. These are just some of the changes to expect during this pandemic election. Libby got the details from Elections Canada’s Dugald Maudsley AND It may be high summer but this is usually the time when snowbirds start sorting out their insurance for the winter trip. Last year, most of the one million Canadians who usually go south stayed home. But surveys show that this year, the vast majority intend to spend winter in warmer climates. Libby talked with Travel Insurance expert Martin Firestone of Travel Secure about what you need to know

It’s Finals day at the National Bank Open, one of the first large events to resume in the wake of COVID-19. The week-long tennis tournament in Toronto and Montreal was a very different experience for both players and fans. Libby talked with managing director Gavin Ziv about the demands of pandemic planning. AND Unlike the tennis tournament, many charities will be holding their big events virtually for the second time. That’s why, this week, the Terry Fox Foundation unveiled a star-studded show it produced called Terry Fox - the Power of One. It began with Tom Cochrane on stage while images of Terry’s run 41 years ago were projected behind him. We thought it was a good time to revisit our interview with Terry’s brother Darryl Fox, recorded a year ago to mark the 40th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope.

We know him as a leading geriatrician and member of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table - and he’s also a frequent guest on this radio station. So what is making Dr. Nathan Stall turn to politics? Libby talked with him shortly after he announced that he is seeking the Ontario Liberal nomination in Toronto-St. Paul’s. AND Beekeeping has been booming because of the pandemic. With people spending more time at home;  an increased focus on the natural world; and local, sustainable food has made this a big covid-era hobby. Libby chatted with Michelle Wolfson of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association.

Vaccine hesitancy is declining in Canada. But recent polling shows that between 17 and 20% of Canadians still need to be convinced to get their shots. Why are they fearful and what makes them come around? Libby talked with Peta-Gay Batten - executive assistant at the RNAO who recently rolled up her sleeves. Last week, museums re-opened their doors to the public, You can already go to the movies and theatre are preparing to welcome back audiences in house. Are you ready? And Is this enough to help our battered cultural sector recover. Libby talked with Claire Hopkinson, Director and CEO of Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation

This week the government convened two summits to combat hate: one on Islamophobia, one on Antisemitism. The circumstances of the latter gathering were dictated by the alarming rise in hate against the Jewish community. It was mostly closed to the public to ensure the safety of those participating. Former federal justice minister Irwin Cotler, now Canada's special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism, was front and centre. Libby reached him in Montreal. AND The pandemic has changed the way we see ageing and our priorities for healthcare as the virus fades. According to the National Institute on Ageing, older Ontarians want adequate homecare while the government is focused on building new LTC homes. And the homecare system is dysfunctional - with the public agency the PC’s promised to abolish still in place while private companies deliver the care. Libby talked to leading geriatrician Dr. Samir Sinha, who is the NIA’s Director of health policy research

It’s an invisible injury that many, including Zoomers, may suffer in their lifetime, concussions. Now, Toronto researchers have created a calculator to identify those at high risk for prolonged symptoms. We reached Doctor Mark Bayley, medical director at University Health Network's Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, who says the tool gives doctors a risk score based on patients' answers to five questions. AND Canadian retirements are beginning to return to normal after the uncertainty of the pandemic held many back. A new report by RBC economic predicts a renewed surge of retirement in the second half of this year, after retirements fell about 20 percent last year as a result of uncertainty about retirement savings as the pandemic arrived. Andrew Apogsowicz is senior economist with RBC.

Mary Simon will be Canada’s first Indigenous governor general. The 74-year-old Inuk leader and former diplomat grew up in a remote village in northern Quebec and has committed her life to advocating for Inuit rights. Parallels can be drawn between Mary Simon and Canada’s 26th government general Adrienne Clarkson, this country’s first person of Asian descent appointed to the position, who also championed the rights of northern indigenous communities during her tenure. We reached the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson to get her reaction to the new appointment. AND The pandemic meant people focused on the three P’s - puppies, peletons and property as people spent more time at home. Now a new study by Royal LePage dispels some myths about boomers and property...and finds when it comes to housing, the older generation has no intention of slowing down and are turning a cold shoulder to retirement. We reached Royal LePage President CEO Phil Soper to dig deeper into these emerging trends.

Technology is enabling the discovery of unmarked graves of indigenous children on sites of former residential schools. The system is called ground penetrating radar and it is also used extensively in the construction industry. Dr. Terence Clark of the University of Saskatchewan is a practitioner and he tells Libby Znaimer that locating these burial grounds involves art as well as science. AND How does our response to COVID-19 compare to the way other catastrophes have been handled through the ages? Why have some countries been so much more successful at controlling the pandemic? Historian Niall Ferguson tackles these questions in his latest book “Doom: the Politics of Catastrophe.” Libby reached him in London.

Where is the first place you want to travel post-COVID? Zoomers are starting to prepare and plan now that fully vaccinated Canadians won’t have to quarantine when they return home from abroad. Libby Znaimer chatted with Zoomer Magazine’s Executive Editor and travel expert Vivian Vassos. And It’s a problem that plagues our healthcare system: patients who no longer need to be in hospital but can’t go home and have nowhere else to go. There are about 4000 of these patients in Ontario hospitals, and some are stuck there for years. It’s miserable for them, expensive for the system, and takes up much needed acute care beds. One organization found a solution for people with mental health and addiction issues. Libby talked with Heather MacDonald CEO of Loft Community Services.

Canadians are waiting longer for hip and knee replacements because tens of thousands of operations were postponed or cancelled during the pandemic. According to numbers from the Canadian institute for health information, 50% percent of patients did not get their new joints within the recommended 6 month wait time frame. How long will it take to catch up? Libby Znaimer talked with Dr. Peter Ferguson, the Albert and Temmy Latner Chair Division of Orthopaedics at the University of Toronto’s Department of Surgery. AND Are you anxious about going back to the office, or a concert, or finding yourself in a crowd or a close lineup? A recent poll finds more than half of Canadians are uneasy about going back to the way things were. Libby reached Dr. Steven Taylor, professor of psychology at UBC and author The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease.

It’s being hailed as the first new Alzheimer’s treatment in 18 years and the first to slow disease progression. But some experts say there’s not enough evidence that Aducanumab actually works. Dr. Sharon Cohen, director of the Toronto Memory Program, was a clinical trial investigator in the drug’s phase 3 trial and has a number of patients who are taking it. Libby Znaimer reached her in Toronto. AND New research suggests there is a hard upper limit to the human life span - but according to the study in Nature Communications, it could be as high as 150 years! Dr. Jay Olshansky is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His work focuses on estimating the upper limits of longevity and what that means for the aging population.

Over the last two decades, the number of Zoomers in the workforce has nearly tripled. But they are subject to pervasive negative typecasting that holds them back. A new report from Federal, Provincial, and Territorial ministers responsible for seniors, surveys the stereotypes that feed into ageism. Libby Znaimer talk to demographic expert David Cravit, CARP's chief membership officer. AND It’s the first ever cookbook inspired by the two year old Canada Food Guide and it comes just as many of us are trying to get back on track after pandemic stress-eating and weight gain. Libby talked to author Rose Reisman about what she calls a Meal Revolution.

Women executives in this country earn about 56% less compared with men and are on average slightly younger. That's according to a recent study from Statistics Canada. Economist Marina Adshade, an assistant professor at the University of B.C., says the finding about age may offer a clue as to the cause of the pay gap. AND She's been in the real estate game for decades in cottage country, but Muskoka agent Catharine Inniss says she’s never seen anything like this.

The term "war crimes" has been thrown around a lot amid the fighting between Israel and Hamas. Libby Znaimer turned to Janice Stein, an expert in Middle East studies and conflict management and Founding Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs. AND What will happen to COVID-19 patients who leave the ICU with long-term side effects of the illness? Dr. Raphael Rush is clinical director of Complex and Continuing Care at the Salvation Army-Toronto Grace Hospital. He says their recovery will require many more resources and he is warning that rehabilitation could become the fourth wave.