TREC - Translating Research in Elder Care

12/19/2025

December 2025

Holiday Wishes

The holiday season is upon us! As 2025 draws to a close, the TREC team sends their warmest wishes to partners, collaborators, and friends – past, present and future – for a restful holiday season and a new year filled with promise.

We wish the residents of continuing care homes and their families and friends a peaceful holiday season sprinkled with many moments of joy. We thank the staff – all of them – who work so hard in continuing care homes through the year and through the holidays and give their best to deliver care with “moments of joy” for residents.

Your work is honourable, every year and every day.

Looking forward, 2026 is the year of the “fire horse,” suggesting that it may be a rare and highly transformative year. The very best in 2026 – the TREC team will be back to work with you!

12/19/2025

We hope everyone enjoys a restful break with their loved ones.

12/10/2025

Holidays can still be made special and memorable when someone you love is living with dementia. Keeping things simple can make a difference — choosing a video or phone call if you can’t be together in person and focusing on only the traditions that matter most to your family can help ease pressure.

These small shifts allow you to honour what feels most important without overwhelming anyone. By centring connection, comfort and what feels manageable, you create space for moments that feel genuine and grounding.

Read more tips at https://bit.ly/3XIddAP

12/10/2025

The holiday season brings people together, but for some older adults, it can be a time of loneliness and isolation.

Taking a moment to reach out can make a real difference for someone’s mental health and sense of connection. 🫶

For information on loneliness and how to stay connected for better health: https://ccsmh.ca/areas-of-focus/social-isolation-and-loneliness/older-adults-and-care-partners/

If you’re experiencing loneliness and/or isolation, check out these helpful resources:

Mental health resources near you: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html

Canadian Red Cross Friendly Calls Program: https://www.redcross.ca/how-we-help/community-health-services-in-canada/friendly-calls-program

12/10/2025

World leader in palliative care shares the wisdom of patients near death in new book from Oxford University Press -- Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov:

Use promotion code AMPROMD9 to save 30%

Purchase:
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/in-search-of-dignity-9780197805114?cc=ca&lang=en&

11/14/2025

Meet more of the TREC team!

Mehtab Rai joined TREC in 2025. He holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Saskatchewan and a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology from the University of Alberta.

He is a research assistant with TREC, contributing to trauma-informed care projects that support continuing-care home staff and residents.

11/14/2025

Meet more of the TREC team!

Madeleine Wong joined TREC in September 2025 as a Research Assistant on the Manager Project. She recently completed her Master of Science in Public Health at McGill University, where she developed strong skills in research, data management, and stakeholder communication.

Before pursuing her graduate degree, Madeleine worked directly with children with autism and adults with developmental disabilities. She is passionate about knowledge translation and looks forward to contributing to TREC’s mission of bridging research and practice.

11/13/2025

There is a burnout crisis among LTC workers:
Trauma-informed workplaces are a solution

In a sector already struggling with significant staffing shortfalls, care aide burnout poses a significant threat. Not only does it contribute to absenteeism and high staff turnover, it also affects job performance, leading to poorer quality of care for residents.

Finding ways to reduce burnout and improve care aides’ mental health is crucial.

While LTC is primarily the responsibility of the provinces and territories, there is an important role for the federal government. Just as it is working with provincial and territorial governments to address problems in primary care, its leadership is also essential in finding solutions to the LTC workforce crisis.

One important strategy to improve care aides’ mental health, is for governments to adopt and fund policies that support trauma-informed workplaces in LTC.

Read more:

healthcare crisis has garnered news headlines and political attention, but an equally alarming crisis is ongoing in long-term care (LTC)

11/13/2025

Meet more of the TREC team!

Augustine Amakiri is a bioinformatician and team leader with over 12 years of experience in health and research informatics.

Augustine earned his PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Liverpool and has held leadership and consulting roles in biotechnology, focusing on scalable workflow design, data integration, and mentoring scientific teams.

His work is driven by a commitment to reproducible science and data-driven innovation.

11/13/2025

Meet more of the team!

Christi Andrin, PhD joined TREC in August 2025 as the Quality Advisor and Evaluation Associate for the Manager Resilience Project. She comes to TREC with unique perspectives and varied experience from across the academic spectrum.

Christi is a biochemist by training, with a passion for supporting research and a track record as a creative problem solver and consensus builder. With more than 30 years on campus at the UofA, she has held a number of roles including researcher, sessional lecturer, biosafety professional, facility manager, event coordinator and institute operations director.

Christi’s ongoing focus on continuous improvement, and her collaborative approach and mentorship have consistently had positive impacts on administrative processes, facility design and operational protocols.

11/11/2025

Today is a day for reflection and remembrance