Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation announces funding to support 53 new innovations for people with dementia and their caregivers

TORONTO, April 23, 2018 /CNW/ - The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), led by Baycrest Health Sciences, today announced more than $7.6 million in funding to support the development and validation testing of 53 new innovations aimed at improving the quality of life of those affected by dementia and their caregivers.

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Federal Minister of Health, was joined by the Honourable Reza Moridi, Ontario Minister of Research, Innovation and Science at Baycrest today to announce the funding which has been awarded to support the acceleration of healthcare and technology-based innovations by point of care staff, researchers and companies.   

Among the funded projects:

• A localized area alert system for missing persons with dementia
• An assessment of the use of smart-home technologies to support caregivers and older adults at home with dementia
• An augmentative and alternative communication system designed to replace spoken communication for non-verbal individuals

Led by researchers, clinicians, point-of-care health workers and/or companies worldwide, these innovations have received support through CABHI's programs including: the Spark Program, the Industry Innovation Partnership Program, and the Researcher-Clinician Partnership Program. 

CABHI fosters a culture of innovation in the healthcare sector in Canada, and through its programs provides supports to innovators that can help them to accelerate the dissemination and adoption of their innovations in the seniors' care sector — accelerating solutions for those who need it most.

Quotes

"I applaud the most recent recipients of the SPARK, I²P² and RCP² funding," said the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health. "Canadians are living longer, and through innovative programs, CABHI is helping to improve the quality of life for our older-adult population living with dementia, for their caregivers, and for their families. The investments made today will make a difference in the lives of people facing real, daily challenges."

"CABHI is working with a global network of innovators, healthcare professionals and collaborators to accelerate the pace of innovation in Ontario and drive growth in our province and beyond.  In turn, this will lead to increased research, knowledge and improved solutions for the aging population," said the Honourable Reza Moridi, Ontario Minister of Research, Innovation and Science.

"In the past three years, CABHI has proudly supported the development and validation testing of more than 130 innovations designed to address many of the critical care concerns faced by the aging population," said Dr. William Reichman, President and CEO of Baycrest Health Sciences. "Our work together with innovators and our healthcare partners has led to improved care solutions for older adults with dementia and their caregivers and helped to build awareness and foster a culture of innovation in the seniors' care sector.

The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) is a solution accelerator for the aging and brain health sector, providing funding and support to innovators for the development, testing, and dissemination of new ideas and technologies that address unmet brain health and seniors' care needs. Established in 2015, it is the result of the largest investment in brain health and aging in Canadian history. CABHI is a unique collaboration of health care, science, industry, not-for-profit and government partners whose aim is to help improve quality of life for the world's aging population, allowing older adults to age safely in the setting of their choice while maintaining their cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being. For more information on CABHI, please visit: www.cabhi.com.

Baycrest Health Sciences is a global leader in geriatric residential living, healthcare, research, innovation and education, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for the next generation of healthcare professionals and one of the world's top research institutes in cognitive neuroscience, the Rotman Research Institute. Baycrest is home to the federally and provincially-funded Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, a solution accelerator focused on driving innovation in the aging and brain health sector, and is the developer of Cogniciti — a free, online brain health assessment for Canadians 40+ who are concerned about their memory. Through its dedicated centres, Baycrest Health Sciences offers unmatched global knowledge exchange and commercialization capacity. Founded in 1918 as the Jewish Home for Aged, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information please visit: www.baycrest.org.

SOURCE Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation

For further information: Arielle Zomer, Senior Communications Specialist, CABHI, 416-937-5741, [e-mail]; Jonathan MacIndoe, Marketing & Media Manager, Baycrest Health Sciences, 416-785-2500, ext. 6579, [e-mail]