Baycrest

T here are profound changes underway that will have a strong material impact on health systems all over the world. The rising number of older adults due to the boomer tide is creating significant demand for novel approaches that support an individual's choice. What our parents and grandparents were forced to accept in terms of what was provided in senior care, this generation of aging baby boomers will not accept. They will demand that we provide them with more choice and more empowerment in shaping their own future. Growing old should mean growing as individuals despite the cognitive and physical frailties we inevitably face. All of us need purpose and meaning, no matter how old we get, so we can look back at our lives and conclude that we have become the most we could have been, and that we have few to no regrets. Baycrest's vision for the future is truly global. We are working to create a world where every older adult enjoys a life of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment. Those of us who work daily in the field of geriatrics understand what older adults want out of their lives: they want to be mobile. They want to be able to get out of their homes and access their communities. They want to maintain relationships with their family members, with their friends and with their peers. Like all of us, older adults want to learn, grow and make their own decisions. To improve the well-being of older adults, we need to change the way we look at innovation. Innovation can no longer be seen as a linear, top-down process. Healthcare workers, family members, communities, patients and staff should be able to participate in creating fresh approaches to delivering the best possible care to our patients. As our clients' and communities' needs are changing, we must change with them. At Baycrest, one of the many ways we are doing this is through our Baycrest Innovation Office, which is transforming our culture by creating opportunities across our organization for every staff member to identify, from their vantage point, solutions to real-world problems. This is possible because innovation is part of our DNA and one of our values. With the aging population, the emphasis is shifting from management of chronic illness and disability to a greater emphasis on finding population-based ways to ensure wellness, and to promote health and healthy living. 6 BrainMatters SPRING|SUMMER 2020 Dr. William Reichman SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AGING

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