Bone health is an important part of aging. In this series, learn about the importance of bone density, how you can reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures as you age and keeping your bones healthy.
Features from Episode 5
Bone Lab
Dr. Lora Giangregorio is a PhD Professor and Schlegel Research Chair in Mobility and Aging Dept. of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. The aim of Lora’s research team is to reduce the burden of osteoporotic fractures. In this segment of Underestimated, Tory visits the University of Waterloo to learn about medical imaging technologies that explore and evaluate bone and muscle responses.
Ben
Ben Kwarteng was injured 14 years ago, and when he left Lyndhurst, he didn’t really consider his bone density in the future.
Lee
On this segment of Underestimated, Lee Zinkan-McKee, a registered nurse with the Georgian Bay Healthy Aging Program, joins Tory to talk about bone health and nutrition and why it’s important.
Featured Guests
Lora Giangregorio
Lora is a Professor and the Schlegel Research Chair in Mobility and Aging in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. The aim of her research is to understand how we can use exercise to prevent falls and fractures, and maintain or improve physical functioning with age. Professor Giangregorio leads the Bone health and Exercise Science lab, and her research team conducts clinical trials to investigate the effects of exercise interventions for reducing fracture risk. The BonES lab also leads studies to understand how to identify people at risk of fracture, including high risk populations such as individuals with spinal cord injury. They lead initiatives and implementation studies to understand how to move research on exercise into practice. For example, the research team has worked with Osteoporosis Canada to develop BoneFit, a two-day workshop for physiotherapists and kinesiologists on appropriate assessment and exercise prescription for individuals with osteoporosis. They also led the development of the Too Fit To Fracture Exercise and Physical Activity Recommendations for Individuals with Osteoporosis.
Benjamin Kwarteng
I’ve been a Peer Support volunteer since 2013 and a member of the Young Professionals Board at Spinal Cord Injury Ontario since 2016. I am also one of the facilitators for Cortree’s Understanding Spinal Cord Injury: Training for Attendants program. I am the Founder of the caregiver app platform All Access Ability. As a person living with spinal cord injury for 12 years, I notice that there are many problems when it comes to receiving the service that you need to get through your daily activity. By developing All Access Ability, the goal is to bridge the gap when it comes down to home service. I am working on an inclusive fashion line for people with disabilities that will combine fashion with ease of access for people getting dressed and undressed. When I am not doing any of these many adventures I enjoy being a source of information to individuals who have just been disabled with spinal cord injury, by giving them feedback based on my personal experience on my website at benjaminking.ca. I enjoy the outdoors on most sunny days either going to the park or driving around the city in my wheelchair. I’m a sports guy, I enjoy watching basketball, soccer, American football, and occasionally hockey playoffs. I love attending live sports games.
Lee Zinkan-McKee RN, CPMH(C)
South Georgian Bay Healthy Aging Program
www.gbfht.ca
Lee Zinkan-McKee is a Registered Nurse with the South Georgian Bay – Healthy Aging Program. Lee has over 35 years of community health nursing experience, in front line and management positions. Most recently, Lee has worked for the Georgian Bay Family Health Team in the COVID Assessment Clinic and then in 2021 joined the Healthy Aging Program. This program involves supporting older adults and caregivers to maintain safe and healthy living in their home through the provision of physical/brain health assessments, self-care management strategies, navigation to community resources and referrals to geriatric specialists if needed.
