EPIC Conference 2023
Juanita Atton is presenting at this year’s conference!
AGE-WELL is a Canadian-based network that brings together researchers, trainees, students, stake-holders and older adults to help develop technologies and services for healthy aging. As part of the AGE-WELL network, the DATE lab receives funding for many of its projects through this organization. This allows us to work on improving the lives of older adults with and without dementia and support healthy ageing.
What is EPIC?
The annual EPIC Conference is an opportunity for students, researchers and staff to showcase their work and connect with other industry members. Each day of the conference focuses on one of the 8 unique challenge areas identified as being of high importance to the wellbeing of Canadian seniors through extensive public consultation and that demand innovation and deployment of real-world solutions.
The 8 challenge areas are as follows:
Supportive Homes & Communities
Health Care & Health Service Delivery
Autonomy & Independence
Cognitive Health & Dementia
Mobility & Transportation
Healthy Lifestyles & Wellness
Staying Connected
Financial Wellness & Employment
This year’s EPIC conference will take place May 23- June 2 through Zoom and registration is free for all! DATE Lab member Juanita Atton has been selected to present her work on CIRCA during the Staying Connected session on June 1st.
Learn more about the project below and register for the conference.
Co-Creating CIRCA-CA: A Reminiscing Tool Promoting Social Connectedness
Juanita Atton, CIRCA project coordinator
What is your project about?
The Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA) is an interactive multimedia web-based platform developed to support and promote communication between people with dementia and their caregivers. CIRCA provides visual and auditory cues using photos, videos and audio to elicit memories as topics of conversation, while minimizing the impact of memory impairments.
Previous versions of the program in the UK and Sweden, have demonstrated its success in promoting conversations between persons with dementia and caregivers, in addition to improving quality of life by promoting social connectedness.
We are currently co-creating CIRCA-CA, that aims to reflect the unique experiences of Canadian seniors. To do this, we have recruited older individuals living with and without dementia, to share their lived experiences and propose ideas for contents to be included in CIRCA-CA.
How do you feel about presenting at EPIC this year?
This will be my first conference and I am very excited to present the work we have been doing!
You can follow Juanita on Twitter to gain conference updates closer to the date!