Four new members have been added to the National Seniors Council.
The four new council members were announced Tuesday. They were appointed through a merit-based selection approach
The new members are:
Dr. Jean-Pierre Gagné, professor at the University of Montreal school of speech therapy and audiology
Nora Spinks, CEO of the Vanier Institute of the Family
Cindy Starnino, director of academic affairs at the Integrated Health and Social Services University Network of West-Central Montreal and
Dr. Martine Lagacé, professor of communication at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Arts.
Gagné, according to a profile on the Government of Canada website, is a research chair in hearing and ageing at the University of Montreal. One of his areas of research deals with the stigma associated with hearing loss for seniors and his work has led to his interest in ageism and promoting the social participation of seniors. He’s worked with the World Health Organization to describe difficulties experienced by people with adult-onset hearing loss.
Legacé is a researcher affiliated with the School of Psychology For her Ph.D., she explored aspects of early retirement. She has worked on age0-based prejudices and has conducted numerous studies on the ins and outs of ageist stereotypes and discrimination.
Spinks created Canada’s first national eldercare resource and referral service, which is now delivered across the country. She has led and been a partner on many national projects and has both participated in and hosted many roundtables on seniors and ageing, older workers, family care leaves and work and family.
Starnino has been active in developing services in the areas of caregiving, prevention and health promotion for seniors, as well as intervention regarding mistreatment of the elderly. She co-created the Elder mistreatment Helpline of Quebec and organized training across the province. Starnino serves as a board member on several organizations focused on improving the quality of life for seniors.
The National Seniors Council engages with seniors, stakeholders and experts to provide advice to the federal government on current and emerging issues and opportunities related to the health, well-being and quality of life of seniors.
