Each year, around the globe, people honour older adults by celebrating World Seniors’ Day on August 21. World Senior Citizens Day highlights the accomplishments of older adults, as well as their participation and contributions in society, to raise awareness of the condition of older people and to support them throughout the aging process.

We celebrate our older adults, as they provide us with their wisdom and experiences – sharing their stories with family members and friends, and the wider community. It is an opportunity to show the older adults in our lives that they are valued, loved and appreciated.

At the RIA, we connect with older adults and find ways to enhance life through research, education and practice. Researchers and team members work with older adults to shape research questions with the realities of seniors in mind. By connecting research to the real-world, RIA research can be applied in real-life settings.

On World Seniors Day, we encourage you to connect with the older adults in your life.  Even with current restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online video calls, window visits, and phone calls are all great options for reaching out. Some other options can include writing letters, sending cards or drawings and socially distanced visits. The Ontario Centre for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care has compiled a list of resources to help families connect with their loved ones in long-term care; check out various ways to connect, and helpful tips here.

In 2005, the RIA was created through the spirit and vision of Dr. Ron Schlegel. Ron knew even then that by enhancing the lives of older adults, we can improve our communities. On World Seniors Day, Ron’s often quoted words ring true:

“The greatest untapped resource in Canada, if not the world, is the collective wisdom of our elders.”  -Ron Schlegel