Research Theme
Geriatric Medicine
Program Coordinator: Dr. George Heckman, Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Medicine, University of Waterloo
Current Geriatric Medicine projects
Complete Geriatric Medicine projects
In 2009, the University of Waterloo and three funding partners announced the appointment of a renowned geriatric medicine specialist to a new research Chair position that will usher in enhanced health care for seniors in the local area and eventually across Canada.
The University of Waterloo, together with Ron Schlegel, the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN) and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, introduced Dr. George Heckman, who specializes in aging and cardiovascular disease, as the Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Medicine. An investment of over $1 Million supports the Chair and his team as they conduct research to improve the delivery of health care to seniors in Waterloo Region and Wellington County. With this appointment and intial investment, RIA's geriatric medicine research theme area was born. While much of the research in this theme area is focused on Dr. Heckman's research program, the RIA works collaboratively with other researchers to investigate medical issues that have an impact on the lives of seniors.
Previously, Heckman was an assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University specializing in chronic disease management in community, residential and Long Term Care settings. He conducts leading trans-disciplinary research on aging that involves professors in Waterloo's Faculty of Applied Health Sciences working in areas including gerontology, physiology, and health services evaluation.
As the Schlegel Research Chair, Dr. Heckman's focus will be on conducting research that will benefit frail seniors. Frailty and chronic diseases can be managed in a proactive way, with the primary goal being to keep seniros as functional as possible where they choose to live, reduce the need for emergency room visits and hospitalization, and ultimately to reduce the pressures on Long Term Care. We hope the work will serve as an example for other communities.
The new Research Chair collaborates with the WWLHIN to develop an integrated model of health care for seniors. This work covers an inventory of current services to identify barriers and potential solutions for their integration, along with developing a list of senior-focused health initiatives.
As well, the integrated health-care approach will provide learning opportunities for health sciences students, nursing students, and medical residents and students.
Current Research Projects
| Project Name | Principal Investigator |
| Improving heart failure care in Long Term Care | Dr. George Heckman |
| A study evaluating a pain assessment as intervention in long-term care | Dr. Sharon Kaasalainen Dr. Thomas Hadjistavropoulos Dr. Ramesh Zacharias |
| Developing the capacity to offer memory clinics in retirement homes. | Dr. Linda Lee Centre for Family Medicine |
| Interdisciplinary Pain Management | Ramesh Zacharias Schlegel Villages |
Completed Research Projects
| Project Name | Principal Investigator | Completion Date |
| Adapting the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Recommendations on Heart Failure: A Consensus-based Approach with Stakeholder Input | Dr. George Heckman |
2010 |