Spatializing Care Lab | St. Francis Xavier University

What's Happening at the Lab

Events

Spatializing Care Lab Speaker Series Lunch and Learn

Co-sponsored with Sociology and Human Kinetics

Join us online via Zoom on November 14th from 12pm-1pm for a lunch and learn with Dr. Kristi Allain, professor of sociology at St. Thomas University and Canada Research Chair in Physical Culture and Social Life. Dr. Allain's work explores the intersections of aging, physical activity and Canadian national identity. Everyone welcome, please share!

REGISTER here in advance.

The Winter of our Contentment: Exploring risk and pleasure in later-life physical activity

In the West, many in the media and the health sector emphasize physical activity as important for the old, so that they can circumvent the impacts of aging and the associated costs. At the same time, neoliberal health discourse advises older people to avoid activities that may cause injuries, such as slips and falls, creating contradictions for older people who participate in sports on ice. In light of these mixed messages, my work has explored how older men understand their bodies through their participation in the seemingly risky sport of ice hockey. I conducted eighteen semi-structured interviews with older Canadian men who played hockey, identifying common themes related to aging, embodiment, risk and pleasure. Participants were aware that common-sense discourse produced hockey as risky for the old, but often downplayed this risk, privileging pleasure. Discourses associated with pleasure acted as an important way for older men to examine their bodies and contemplate the significance of hockey in their lives. Through the comradery players developed with each other, their interactions with the material objects of hockey, they found ways to celebrate their bodies as both aging and capable of experiencing pleasure — implicitly challenging neoliberal discourses of old age in the process.

Participation in the Symposium, Demand and Supply of Long Term Care Services: New Perspectives from Economics, Sociology and Political Sciences on April 18-19, 2024.

This event was organized by Marie-Louise Leroux (UQAM, CIRANO) and Patrik Marier (Concordia University), in collaboration with CREEI, CREGÉS, FRQSC, the RSI, ESG UQAM, Concordia University and CIRANO. Some of the questions that were addressed:

What solutions should public authorities put in place to provide adequate support and care for seniors and their caregivers?
Will seniors have the financial resources to meet increased needs, such as adapting their housing, using nursing services and help with daily living tasks?
What are the preferences of seniors regarding the mode of care in the event of loss of autonomy?
What are the financial and psychological consequences for the relatives (caregivers) of seniors losing their autonomy?

Text in white font reads "Promsing Directions in Community Programming for Aging Nova Scotians" against a navy blue background with a picture of white teacup in a yellow square in the lower right corner.

Lunch & Learn: Promising Directions in Community Programming for Aging Nova Scotians

On Thursday, April 11, 2024, over 30 people gathered at St. Francis Xavier University representing diverse organizations, geographies and interests across in Northeastern Nova Scotia involved in health, social and cultural community programming, research and advocacy for people 55+. The event featured special presentations by Dr. Ann Bigelow, President of Keep Well Antigonish, Lydia Kerr, Project Manager for Communities and Healthy Aging at the Centre for Excellence in Healthy Aging, Cape Breton University and Michelle MacPhee, Project Coordiantor, Centre on Rural Aging and Health (CORAH) at Nova Scotia Community College Strait Campus.

News

Nova Scotia Government Responds to the Accessibility Act Review

Government accepts 47 of the 48 recommendations from the independent review, in six key areas: 1) accelerating standards development; 2) expanding First Voice involvement and using an intersectional approach; 3) improving public communications about accessibility work; 4) building prescribed public sector capacity to implement accessibility plans and comply with standards; 5) monitoring accessibility improvements in healthcare, justice and housing; 6) strengthening monitoring, accountability and progress reporting.

Nova Scotia's Inaugural Accessibility Act Review Report Released

Nova Scotia's Accessibility Act was proclaimed in 2017 with a goal of achieving an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030. The Act guides development of accessibility standards for the built environment, education, employment, the delivery and receipt of goods and services, information and communication, public transportation and transportation infrastructure, and other prescribed activities. Dr. Katie Aubrecht was appointed by the Department of Justice (Nova Scotia Government) to lead the inaugural review of the Act. The review team included Kelly O’Neil, (lead associate), Dr. Tammy Bernasky, Dr. Emily Reid-Musson, Julianne Acker-Verney, Lisa Snider, Shirley Hodder, Mary Jane Kelly, Shala Knocton, Miriam Schroeder, and Jami Horne. Canadian Centre on Disability Studies Incorporated, operating as Eviance (www.eviance.ca), provided editorial and research work for this report with significant contributions by Dr. Cameron Crawford, Eviance Senior Data and Policy Officer, and Dr. Susan L. Hardie, Eviance Executive Director. The review adopted an inclusive design approach and engaged accessibility subject matter experts. Steven Estey, Sherry Costa-Lorenz, Anne Camozzi, Rosie Sylliboy, Conrad Saulis, Melanie Gaunt, Vicky Levack, and Sylvia Parris-Drummond offered valued insight and guidance at various points in the review.

RECENT Research Publications and Presentations

Peer-Reviewed Academic Journal Publications

Daari, L., Finnegan, H., Atul, J., Sriranganathan, A., Cameron, C., Haczkewicz, K., Monnin, C., Aubrecht, K., Bielska, I., Cheng, I., Conway, A., Sinn, C.-L., Ghandour, E.-L., & Gallant, N. (2024). Caregiving in long-term care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review. European Geriatric Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-024-01029-3
Herron, R., Spencer, D., Novek, S., Funk, L., Kelly, C., & Aubrecht, K. (2024). Exploring space and practices of control in long-term residential care violence prevention strategies. Social Science and Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117091
Hande, M.J., Owusu, P., Aubrecht, K., Cloutier, D., Estabrooks, C., & Keefe, J. (2024). Towards equitable representation in long-term residential care: Widening the circle to ensure 'essential voices' in research teams. Research Involvement and Engagement, 10(34), 1-10. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-024-00562-6
Hoben, M., Dymchuk, E., Doupe, M., Keefe, J., Aubrecht, K., Kelly, C., Stajduhar, K., Banerjee, S., O'Rourke, H., Chamberlain, S., Beeber, A., Salma, J., Jarrett, P., Arya, A., Corbett, K., Devkota, R., Ristau, M., Shrestha, S., & Estabrooks, C. (2024). Counting what counts: Assessing quality of life and its social determinants among nursing home residents with dementia. BMC Geriatrics, 24(77), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-04710-1
Giosa, J., Kalles, E., McAiney, Oelke, N., Aubrecht, K., McNeil, H., Perez, O.H., & Holyoke, P. (2024). Co-designing action oriented mental health conversations between care providers and aging Canadians in the community. BMJ Open, 14(1), 1-10. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079653
Reid-Musson, E., Aubrecht, K., Kelly, C., Embrett, M., Hallstrom, L., Hamilton-Hinch, B., Johnson, S., Knocton, S., Lawrence, L., MacDonald, M., Mah, J., Marier, P., Moody, E., & Sim, M. (2023). Participatory evaluation of a direct payment program for equity in dementia care in Nova Scotia, Canada. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069231197962

Project Reports and Briefing Notes

Aubrecht, K., Burke, R., Keefe, J., Kelly, C., Gahagan, J., Hade, M.J., Hardie, S., Flynn, T., Dowling, L., DePodesta, M., Nadeau, S., Kocki, J., & Knocton, S. (June, 2023). Evidence to assess the impact of COVID-19 on community-based dementia care in Nova Scotia. Spatializing Care: Intersectional Disability Studies Lab (pp. 1-39). Antigonish, NS: St. Francis Xavier University.
Burke, R., Kelly, M.J., & Aubrecht, K. (May, 2023). Accessible, functional sheltering for persons with disabilities. MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance (pp. 1-8). Halifax, NS: Dalhousie University.
Burke, R., Kelly, M.J., & Aubrecht, K. (September, 2021). Sheltering policies and programs for persons with disabilities. MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance (pp. 1-73). Halifax, NS: Dalhousie University.

Presentations

Aubrecht, K., Kelly, C., & Knocton, S. (2024). Cognitive ableism in supportive community care for people with dementia. Oral presentation at the Canadian Sociological Association annual conference. McGill University, Montreal, QC. June 18.
Aubrecht, K., Hardie, S., Landi, M., & Beresford, T. (2024) University student mental health advocacy: A human rights and equity-based approach. Canadian Sociological Association annual conference, McGill University. Montreal, QC. June 7.
Bernasky, T., Costa-Lorenz, S., & Aubrecht, K. (2024). Gender and disability-based violence among students at Nova Scotia universities. Dalhousie teaching and Learning Conference. Dalhousie University. Halifax, NS. Online. May 1.
Godin, J., Brown, J., Mah, J., Roulin, N., Aubrecht, K., & Andrew, M. (2024). Overview and update on the understanding stigma towards dementia in the workplace project. Dalhousie Department of Medicine (DoM) Research Week, Dalhousie University. Halifax, NS.
Beresford, T., Aubrecht, K., & Hardie, S. (2024). Advocacy for health equity by university students with disabilities: A participatory knowledge synthesis. Crossroads Interdisciplinary Health Conference, Dalhousie University. Halifax, NS. March 1.
Aubrecht, K. (2024). Outline for a political economy of long-term care: Bourdieusian reflections on the Quadruple Aim and Health Equity for All. Oral presentation at Demand and Supply of Long-term Care Services, UQAM, Concordia and CIRANO. Montreal, QC. April 18.