There are some events, when recalled, that take us back to that day. The assassinations of the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert, or Martin Luther King Jr. And the 9-11 attacks are another such tragedy. Two of the four coordinated terrorist attacks targeted New York's World Trade Center, 20 years ago. Sharing his recollection now, Hans Gerhardt, former general manager of Toronto's Sutton Place, who lost one of his sons, Ralph, who worked at the World Trade Centre. AND As many Canadians and their families know, COVID-19 has exhausted so many healthcare workers, including nurses that many want out. And while the country faces an urgent shortage, nursing schools are having to turn away some of those wishing to make it a career. Bob Komsic spoke with Linda Silas, president of the federation of nurses unions that represents almost 200-thousand unionized nurses and nursing students.

Zoomer Week in Review

Recalling 9/11 & The Nursing Crisis

This time of year marks an annual rite of passage for many as parents send their kids off to university for the first time. Heading back to school no matter the age, often brings its own challenges and one of them this time is anxiety about being separated from families after months of togetherness. Now add into the mix, a pandemic with worries about distancing, vaccines and new ways to socialize. It can all seem overwhelming for parents and students. Dr. Sam Klarreich is a Toronto psychologist with some advice on how to mitigate these extra challenges. AND Bird watching? Or cooking? Just two popular courses offered for older adults this year thru the Toronto District School Boar?s Learn 4 life program that serves older adults. Register now for not only credit programs but general interest courses and it seems the pandemic has boosted the number of older adults wanting to learn something new. Belkis Romero i?a continuing education program manager with the Toronto District School Board.

Back to School Anxiety & Zoomers go to School

Canada has ended its airlift mission from Afghanistan but Ehsan Saadat, his wife, and four children are among the lucky ones who got out in time. Their escape to Canada had to be kept a secret even from immediate family members because the mission was just too dangerous. The 33-year-old researcher on women's rights put him at risk, but just days after applying to come to Canada the family of six boarded a plane just seven days before the country fell to the Taliban and are starting their new lives in Kitchener. AND Once told he would never graduate high school, Dr. Alika Lafontaine is set to become the first ever indigenous president of the Canadian Medical Association next year. He struggled in school but credits his success to mentors along the way, including his parents and siblings. After witnessing systemic racism in Canadian health, the Grande Prairie Alberta anesthesiologist created an app where patients can anonymously report racism.

Escaping Afghanistan & The Canadian Medical Association President-elect

More mail-in ballots, delayed results, and different polling places. These are just some of the changes to expect during this pandemic election. Libby got the details from Elections Canad?s Dugald Maudsley AND It may be high summer but this is usually the time when snowbirds start sorting out their insurance for the winter trip. Last year, most of the one million Canadians who usually go south stayed home. But surveys show that this year, the vast majority intend to spend winter in warmer climates. Libby talked with Travel Insurance expert Martin Firestone of Travel Secure about what you need to know

The Pandemic Election & Snowbirds Intend To Travel

I?s Finals day at the National Bank Open, one of the first large events to resume in the wake of COVID-19. The week-long tennis tournament in Toronto and Montreal was a very different experience for both players and fans. Libby talked with managing director Gavin Ziv about the demands of pandemic planning. AND Unlike the tennis tournament, many charities will be holding their big events virtually for the second time. Tha?s why, this week, the Terry Fox Foundation unveiled a star-studded show it produced called Terry Fox - the Power of One. It began with Tom Cochrane on stage while images of Terr?s run 41 years ago were projected behind him. We thought it was a good time to revisit our interview with Terr?s brother Darryl Fox, recorded a year ago to mark the 40th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope.

The Demands of Pandemic Planning & Remembering Terry Fox

We know him as a leading geriatrician and member of Ontari?s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table - and h?s also a frequent guest on this radio station. So what is making Dr. Nathan Stall turn to politics? Libby talked with him shortly after he announced that he is seeking the Ontario Liberal nomination in Toronto-St. Pau?s. AND Beekeeping has been booming because of the pandemic. With people spending more time at home? an increased focus on the natural world; and local, sustainable food has made this a big covid-era hobby. Libby chatted with Michelle Wolfson of the Ontario Beekeeper? Association.

Turning to Politics & Hobby Beekeeping

Vaccine hesitancy is declining in Canada. But recent polling shows that between 17 and 20% of Canadians still need to be convinced to get their shots. Why are they fearful and what makes them come around? Libby talked with Peta-Gay Batten - executive assistant at the RNAO who recently rolled up her sleeves. Last week, museums re-opened their doors to the public, You can already go to the movies and theatre are preparing to welcome back audiences in house. Are you ready? And Is this enough to help our battered cultural sector recover. Libby talked with Claire Hopkinson, Director and CEO of Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation

Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy & Re-Opening the Arts

This week the government convened two summits to combat hate: one on Islamophobia, one on Antisemitism. The circumstances of the latter gathering were dictated by the alarming rise in hate against the Jewish community. It was mostly closed to the public to ensure the safety of those participating. Former federal justice minister Irwin Cotler, now Canada's special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism, was front and centre. Libby reached him in Montreal. AND The pandemic has changed the way we see ageing and our priorities for healthcare as the virus fades. According to the National Institute on Ageing, older Ontarians want adequate homecare while the government is focused on building new LTC homes. And the homecare system is dysfunctional - with the public agency the P?s promised to abolish still in place while private companies deliver the care. Libby talked to leading geriatrician Dr. Samir Sinha, who is the NI?s Director of health policy research

Antisemitism Summit & Homecare Priorities

I?s an invisible injury that many, including Zoomers, may suffer in their lifetime, concussions. Now, Toronto researchers have created a calculator to identify those at high risk for prolonged symptoms. We reached Doctor Mark Bayley, medical director at University Health Network's Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, who says the tool gives doctors a risk score based on patients' answers to five questions. AND Canadian retirements are beginning to return to normal after the uncertainty of the pandemic held many back. A new report by RBC economic predicts a renewed surge of retirement in the second half of this year, after retirements fell about 20 percent last year as a result of uncertainty about retirement savings as the pandemic arrived. Andrew Apogsowicz is senior economist with RBC.

Concussion Calculator & Retirement Surge

Mary Simon will be Canad?s first Indigenous governor general. The 74-year-old Inuk leader and former diplomat grew up in a remote village in northern Quebec and has committed her life to advocating for Inuit rights. Parallels can be drawn between Mary Simon and Canad?s 26th government general Adrienne Clarkson, this countr?s first person of Asian descent appointed to the position, who also championed the rights of northern indigenous communities during her tenure. We reached the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson to get her reaction to the new appointment. AND The pandemic meant people focused on the three ?s - puppies, peletons and property as people spent more time at home. Now a new study by Royal LePage dispels some myths about boomers and property...and finds when it comes to housing, the older generation has no intention of slowing down and are turning a cold shoulder to retirement. We reached Royal LePage President CEO Phil Soper to dig deeper into these emerging trends.

Adrienne Clarkson Reacts To The New Governor General & Boomer and Property Trends

Technology is enabling the discovery of unmarked graves of indigenous children on sites of former residential schools. The system is called ground penetrating radar and it is also used extensively in the construction industry. Dr. Terence Clark of the University of Saskatchewan is a practitioner and he tells Libby Znaimer that locating these burial grounds involves art as well as science. AND How does our response to COVID-19 compare to the way other catastrophes have been handled through the ages? Why have some countries been so much more successful at controlling the pandemic? Historian Niall Ferguson tackles these questions in his latest book?Doom: the Politics of Catastrophe? Libby reached him in London.

The Technology Finding Unmarked Graves & "Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe"

Where is the first place you want to travel post-COVID? Zoomers are starting to prepare and plan now that fully vaccinated Canadians wo?t have to quarantine when they return home from abroad. Libby Znaimer chatted with Zoomer Magazin?s Executive Editor and travel expert Vivian Vassos. And I?s a problem that plagues our healthcare system: patients who no longer need to be in hospital but ca?t go home and have nowhere else to go. There are about 4000 of these patients in Ontario hospitals, and some are stuck there for years. I?s miserable for them, expensive for the system, and takes up much needed acute care beds. One organization found a solution for people with mental health and addiction issues. Libby talked with Heather MacDonald CEO of Loft Community Services.

Post-COVID Travel & LOFT Community Services

Canadians are waiting longer for hip and knee replacements because tens of thousands of operations were postponed or cancelled during the pandemic. According to numbers from the Canadian institute for health information, 50% percent of patients did not get their new joints within the recommended 6 month wait time frame. How long will it take to catch up? Libby Znaimer talked with Dr. Peter Ferguson, the Albert and Temmy Latner Chair Division of Orthopaedics at the University of Toront?s Department of Surgery. AND Are you anxious about going back to the office, or a concert, or finding yourself in a crowd or a close lineup? A recent poll finds more than half of Canadians are uneasy about going back to the way things were. Libby reached Dr. Steven Taylor, professor of psychology at UBC and author The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease.

The Surgery Backlog & Post-Pandemic Anxiety

I?s being hailed as the first new Alzheime?s treatment in 18 years and the first to slow disease progression. But some experts say ther?s not enough evidence that Aducanumab actually works. Dr. Sharon Cohen, director of the Toronto Memory Program, was a clinical trial investigator in the dru?s phase 3 trial and has a number of patients who are taking it. Libby Znaimer reached her in Toronto. AND New research suggests there is a hard upper limit to the human life span - but according to the study in Nature Communications, it could be as high as 150 years! Dr. Jay Olshansky is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His work focuses on estimating the upper limits of longevity and what that means for the aging population.

New Alzheimer's Treatment & The Limit of a Lifespan

Over the last two decades, the number of Zoomers in the workforce has nearly tripled. But they are subject to pervasive negative typecasting that holds them back. A new report from Federal, Provincial, and Territorial ministers responsible for seniors, surveys the stereotypes that feed into ageism. Libby Znaimer talk to demographic expert David Cravit, CARP's chief membership officer. AND I?s the first ever cookbook inspired by the two year old Canada Food Guide and it comes just as many of us are trying to get back on track after pandemic stress-eating and weight gain. Libby talked to author Rose Reisman about what she calls a Meal Revolution.

Ageism in the Workplace & The Meal Revolution

Join host Libby Znaimer as she brings you the latest Zoomer Headlines from around the world and shines a spotlight on the key issues affecting you. Yo?ll also get the freshest perspective from CARP and Zoomer Media experts on health, wellness and living the good life!

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Zoomer Week in Review

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