The Dialogue on Aging Public Presentation Series is hosted by the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging and Providence Health Care. On September 25th, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Debra Sheets, Professor from the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria, as this month’s speaker!
This lecture can ONLY be viewed in-person at the BMO Great Hall, VanDusen Botanical Garden (i.e., virtual attendance is not provided). Light refreshments will be provided at the event.
Title: Living Well with Dementia: Finding Joy, Purpose, and Connection
Summary: This presentation explores the impact of social isolation and stigma which pose the greatest threat to living well with dementia. Research indicates that fun, friendships and community are transformative in aging well. Similarly, activities that are meaningful, involve learning, and involve co-creation are key to living well with dementia. Strengths-based approaches that focus on creativity and imagination are essential supports of persons living with dementia, as well as their caregivers. Participation in the arts and music adds to the richness of life while teaching important skills that support the identity of the person living with memory loss and that are vital to their well-being and quality of life.
Speaker Biography: Dr. Debra Sheets joined the School of Nursing at the University of Victoria in 2009. She earned certifications in nursing education and in gerontological nursing and taught at a California State University for nearly a decade. She completed her doctorale in Gerontology and Public Policy from the University of Southern California in 1999. Dr. Sheets is an elected fellow of the Canadian Academy of Nursing (FCAN), the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), the Gerontological Society of America (FGSA) and the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (FAGHE). She served as the Victoria site lead for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging from 2011 to 2018. She is the founder of four community-based, intergenerational initiatives (e.g., Voices in Motion choir, Memory Cafes, Minds on the Go, and Momentia Victoria) in Victoria, BC, aimed at making the arts more accessible to persons living with dementia and their care partners. She is the host of the Call to Mind, a four-part podcast series created during the pandemic that aims to share intimate stories about the challenges and rewards of caregiving and finding joy by living in the present. Her research has focused on caregivers, dementia and healthy aging. She has published many articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals.