OADD November Event Program

Promoting Brain Health Among Older Adults with IDD, Family Caregivers and Service Providers

Presenters: Prachi Patel, Yona Lunsky, Nicole Bobbette

This session presents the Brain Health-IDD program, a co-developed and co-delivered initiative aimed at reducing dementia risk for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It highlights program outcomes, including high participant satisfaction, improved knowledge and self-efficacy, and positive lifestyle changes, along with future directions for community-based brain health promotion.

Presenter Identified Outcomes
1. Explore how co-production can be used in research and in the development and delivery of educational programs for adults with IDD, family caregivers, and service providers.
2. Describe key learnings from the study and understand the impact of education on brain health across participant groups.

Honouring Choice and Care: End-of-Life Planning to Support Aging in Place

Presenter: Brendon Pooran

This session provides a practical overview of end-of-life planning, including estate planning, DNR orders, estate administration, and financial considerations. Participants will gain tools to support person-centred planning and help individuals age in place with dignity and their wishes respected.

Presenter Identified Outcomes
1. Understand the key components of effective estate planning for individuals being supported, including why these elements are critical to long-term wellbeing and decision-making.
2. Examine the role and limitations of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders within the developmental services sector, and how they intersect with broader care planning and legal frameworks.
3. Learn best practices for estate administration, including agency duties, stronger financial practices, and clear communication with families and substitute decision-makers.

Home but not Alone

Presenters: Dasha Choitova, Christina Maccarone

This presentation will explore the cross-sector, interdisciplinary collaborations, and community resources that support person-centered care and enable individuals to remain in their homes and live independently and as safely as possible as their needs evolve. The also addressed is the unique caregiver burden experienced by siblings of individuals aging with IDD, highlighting the challenges, supports, and planning considerations involved in long-term caregiving.

Presenter identified Outcomes:
1. Gain insight into the lived experience of a sibling caregiver supporting a person aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities
2. Engage in discussion examining existing gaps in services, supports, and available resources for individuals aging in place and their caregivers
3. Explore multi-sector and interdisciplinary collaborations that support individuals with IDD to age safely and successfully in their homes and communities
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Aging in Place, Aging with Choice: Understanding the Tipping Point Between Developmental Services and Long-Term Care

Presenters: Sandy Stemp, Lisa Levin

As people with IDD live longer lives, agencies are increasingly supporting individuals with complex age-related changes, including dementia, frailty, mobility decline, and increased health needs. Wherever possible the goal is to support people to age in place within their homes and communities through proactive planning, adapted supports, and strong community partnerships.

Presenter Identified Outcomes:
1. Explore the Ontario long-term care system, including eligibility, services, and considerations for individuals with developmental disabilities.
2. Identify factors that may indicate a shift in support needs where long-term care should be considered as part of a person-centred planning process.
3. Discuss strategies for collaboration between DS organizations, LTC providers, individuals, and families to support informed decision-making and transitions when required.

Evaluating the Implementation of a Dementia Screening Program for Adults with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities in Ontario Community Agencies

Presenters: Prachi Patel, Avra Selick, Yona Lunsky

This session shares findings on implementing dementia screening and aging-related supports for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in community agencies. Participants will explore key facilitators, barriers, and practical strategies to improve early detection and better support healthy aging.

Presenter Identified Outcomes:
1. Identify key facilitators and barriers influencing the implementation of dementia screening and aging-related supports within community agencies

Aging Beyond the Senses: Creating adaptations for safe aging with a sensory loss

Presenters: Vera Mota, Tracey Veldhuis

Vision and hearing loss significantly impact the safety, communication, and independence of older adults, but intentional home adaptations can help them live safely and with dignity. This presentation offers practical tools, environmental modifications, and person-centered strategies to overcome daily challenges, reduce frustration, and create supportive living environments

Presenter Identified Outcomes:
1. Recognize the distinct ways sensory loss affects orientation, mobility, and safety in the home
2. Discover how to apply environmental adaptations that directly improve independence to acquire practical strategies to reduce risk during daily activities
3. Navigate available accessibility resources and select appropriate assistive tools for support

Vendor “Cocktail” Hour

A chance to mingle with vendors, have a drink and relax before dinner after a full day of engaging in sessions

Hosted Dinner – separate registration

A Casual buffet dinner available to In-Person participants (separate cost). A chance to chat with colleagues, new and old, without asking “where do you want to eat?”

Networking Evening

Join us to relax and unwind from a day of learning with friends and colleagues in a comfy atmosphere

Abuse Investigations: Making decisions when the facts conflict

Presenter: Paul Nicholson

Paul Nicholson, Managing Director of Fermata Workplace Solutions, works extensively with eldercare and developmental service organizations to reach conclusions that organizations can rely upon, even in the dreaded ‘he said/she said’ scenario. In this session, Paul will describe the steps to complete reliable abuse investigations drawing on experiences from suspicious deaths to assault, emotional abuse and neglect.

Presenter Identified Outcomes
1. Identify principles of credibility assessment
2. Consider procedural fairness tensions when planning and conducting interviews
3. Identify principles of credibility assessment

Supporting Transitions into Long-Term Care for Aging Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Presenters: Marianne Vico, Andrea Herman-Johnson

This presentation highlights Mary Centre’s Transition into Long Term Care Program, an initiative supporting older adults with developmental disabilities who are preparing to move into, or have recently moved into, long term care. Mary Centre’s program provides 6 to 8 weeks of individualized transition support, including planning, system navigation, collaboration with families and service providers, and strategies to help individuals maintain meaningful community connections during a major life transition..

Presenter Identified Outcomes:
1. The realities of transition planning
2. Importance of cross sector partnerships
3. Approaches to supporting aging adults with developmental disabilities as their needs evolve

The NHWW Ontario Model: Extending Long-Term Care into the Community to Support Aging in Place

Presenters: Debbie Taylor

Nursing Home Without Walls model is a community-based approach that brings long-term care supports to frail older adults living at home. Developed in New Brunswick, the model has shown reduced emergency department visits and high client satisfaction and is now being piloted in Ontario through AdvantAge Ontario and partners. The session will cover the Ontario implementation, core principles, service delivery, evaluation, partnerships, and how the model supports aging in place, quality of life, and health system sustainability.

Presenter Identified Outcomes:
1. Understand the evidence and key components of the NHWW model and its role in supporting aging in place.
2. Learn how long-term care homes can extend their expertise beyond their walls to support frail older adults living independently in the community.
3. Learn how long-term care homes can extend their expertise beyond their walls to support frail older adults living independently in the community.

The Supported Living Journey – Tying Service Delivery to a Lifetime

Presenter: Sandee Moore

How can agencies provide continuous, fiscally responsible support to individuals as their needs change over time, while engaging community partners, families, and support circles in long-term planning? At Community Living Toronto, the Supported Living service stream uses a “Journey” model to map people’s movement from skill development and established routines to aging, transition, and increased support due to medical frailty. This session will explore that Journey, natural transitions, and how the service model adapts to changing needs.

Presenter Identified Outcomes:
1. To explore new and person-centered ways of thinking around service delivery.
2. To provide opportunities for staff skill development.
3. To help individuals and their families/support circles prepare for the transitions in their lives in a way that avoids crises and cliffs

Reimagining Palliative Care in Developmental Services

Presenters: Ann Laramie, Heather Hannigan

This session explores how partnerships between developmental services and hospice organizations can build palliative care capacity through practical tools, early identification strategies, and person-centred planning. Participants will gain adaptable approaches to support individuals with developmental disabilities to age, live, and die with dignity in the place they call home.

Presenter Identified Outcomes:
1. Describe the role of a palliative approach in supporting and advocating for people with developmental disabilities as they age and/or face serious illness.
2. Recognize early signs of health decline using tools like STOP & WATCH and PALLI. Identify barriers that limit access to equitable, quality palliative care for people with developmental disabilities.
3. Apply strategies for building cross-sector partnerships between developmental services, families, and palliative care providers to improve aging-in-place outcomes.