Karen Slonim - Centre for Elder Research

Karen Slonim is a medical anthropologist and health educator who has worked in research and primary care for over 12 years. Karen has begun the process of gathering information, through conversation with older adults, about what they feel impacts quality of life as well as providing the time and space to explore the topics they feel matter. The presentation will share what she has heard to date and invite conversation about how generalizable these themes are to others.  

The Centre for Elder Research (CER) is a unique campus-based applied research institute at that explores ways to enhance the quality of life of older adults and their families, while serving as an education and resource hub for Sheridan College and the broader community. Located in Oakville, CER has been in operation since 2003 and has completed over 150 research projects with over 60 community and industry partners, engaging more than 500 Sheridan students, staff and faculty members in applied research.

Karen is interested in how older adults experience and understand health and wellbeing, as well as how the systems around them help or hinder this knowledge. Through her research, she wishes to co-design health promotion programs with older adults and their care partners with the hope of developing programming that reflects the needs and wants of the community they are intended to serve.