Episode 1: Aging is Not a Crisis
Canada’s future is older, but we can be wiser
Canada is aging — quickly. By 2030, seniors will outnumber children for the first time in history, placing unprecedented pressure on housing, health care, and caregiving systems. Yet despite growing need, older adults are often overlooked or underestimated, and communities across the country are struggling to keep up. In this episode, Professor Russell, along with Dr. Nadine Changfoot, director of the Trent Centre for Aging & Society, shares why it’s time to shift how we think about aging — not as a burden, but as a strength — and how research, policy, and intergenerational learning can help Canada prepare for what’s ahead.
Featured Expert
Dr. Elizabeth Russell
Associate Professor, Psychology
Dr. Elizabeth Russell is a leading researcher in the field of aging, examining how individuals experience aging across diverse contexts, with a focus on intergenerational learning, rural aging, and social inclusion. As an associate professor of Psychology at Trent University, former director of the Trent Centre for Aging & Society, and through her scholarship and community engagement, she has been challenging ageist narratives to help shape more informed, compassionate approaches to aging policy and practice in Canada.
More About Trent's Leadership in Aging
A designated age-friendly university, Trent is a leader in teaching, research and community engagement focused on understanding and advancing inclusive aging in Canada.
Long-term Care Home: Coming Soon
Trent University is the future home of a new not-for-profit 224-bed long-term care home. As the academic and research partner, Trent University faculty and students will collaborate with peopleCare, the LTC home operator, to help foster positive intergenerational learning opportunities and positive aging experiences for older adults.
Trent Centre for Aging and Society
The Trent Centre for Aging & Society gathers faculty, students, staff, and community stakeholders to facilitate diverse dialogue that challenges entrenched ideas about aging, old age and older people, including ageist practices in our communities and culture. Through interdisciplinary research, education, and events, TCAS seeks to better understand and celebrate diverse experiences of aging.
In the News
Dive into Trent News to learn more about Dr. Elizabeth Russell’s intergenerational classroom. For Seniors’ Month, Professor Russell and one of the classroom’s senior volunteers, Bonnie Kimmitt, appeared on CBC Ontario Morning to talk about this approach and how it helps address ageism and prejudice.
Programs with Purpose: Pathways in Aging & Care
Trent’s programs explore aging from every angle—psychological, social, biological, and systemic.
Students can examine the science of aging through Psychology and Health & Behaviour (a program unique to Trent), investigate social and cultural perspectives in Sociology, or take a hands-on approach through Nursing.
At the graduate level, the MA in Interdisciplinary Aging Studies and Collaborative Specialization in Aging Studies offer focused, cross-disciplinary training for those looking to shape aging policy, research, and care in Canada’s rapidly changing demographic landscape.
