NICE is an international network dedicated to improving the care of older adults 

Who are we?

NICE is an international network of researchers, practitioners, students and seniors dedicated to improving the care of older adults, both in Canada and abroad.  Our members represent a broad spectrum of disciplines and professions, including geriatric medicine, gerontological nursing, gerontological social work, gerontology, rehabilitation science, sociology, psychology, policy and law.  Through our international arm, the International Collaboration for the Care of the Elderly (ICCE), we have researcher and student partners in nine countries: Australia, China, England, Germany, India, Israel, Scotland, South Africa and Switzerland.

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What do we do?

NICE was proposed within the context of aging at present.  While research consistently shows that the best geriatric care is delivered in interdisciplinary teams, actual practice does not always occur in this way.  Further, there is a gap between what evidence has shown to be best practice in the care of the elderly, and how practice is truly carried out.  Moreover, Canada and other countries are experiencing an aging population, and, in many cases, a more diverse aging population.  However, the education that health practitioners receive in the care of the elderly is largely inadequate, and we are facing a present and a looming shortage of professionals to care for our aging populations.

NICE was proposed to help address these issues. The overarching emphases of NICE are networking and knowledge transfer – that is, getting good research into practice.  

NICE has three main goals:

  1. Help close the gap between evidence-based research and actual practice
  2. Improve the training of existing practitioners, geriatric educational curricula, and interest new students in specializing in geriatric care
  3. Effect positive policy changes for the care of older adults

NICE operates through a network of Theme Teams and Committees.  Our Theme Teams review evidenced-based literature to develop user-friendly, interdisciplinary, team-based tools.  They then work to disseminate these tools into practice, thus moving research into practice.  Our Committees work to identify best practices, advocate for curricula changes, and support students in the field of aging.  Our Theme Teams and Committees are made up of researchers, practitioners and students from varied disciplines, which helps foster interdisciplinary collaboration.  

Rethink Aging

In an ageless society, we will recognize and nurture everyone's value and contribution, at every life stage.

Society has made amazing strides forward in the last 100 years. Among those incredible achievements, people are living much longer.

The number of people aged 60 years+ will soon increase to 2 billion. That number is six times higher than in 1980. Never before have there been so many people in this age group and never before has it been so imperative that society makes room for them. The times are changing and we have to think differently today about the place older adults occupy in society.

There is a great deal of opportunity to be had from this breadth of social change. The good news is that the faster we act on these opportunities, the faster we can all benefit personally, socially and economically.

Job one is to defeat ageism. Ageism is a rampant social problem that is perpetuated, in part, by stereotyping. Currently, the Internet contains the greatest library of images, inaccurately depicting aging in today's world, and this imagery inundates culture every day, through almost every web search. NICE's goal is to start the perception shift by replacing the imagery with current and accurate images of aging in today's world.

By passing our pictures and messages along to the people you know every day, you help eliminate ageism.

Doing so lets us imagine life in a new way. The economy will grow, as business employs more adults 60+ and provides a greater array of products and services to them. Older adults will participate more in every aspect of the economy as their income rises. Many will provide jobs, growing the economy even further, and will be more involved in community and civic affairs. The health care sector will also grow in the areas of geriatric medicine, palliative care, and chronic disease prevention and management. Likewise, the standard of care - more adequate, specialized health care for this age group - will be prioritized and readily accessible. In an ageless society, we will recognize and nurture everyone's value and contribution, at every life stage.

International Collaboration of the Elderly (ICCE)

The International Collaboration for the Care of the Elderly is the international arm of NICE.  ICCE was funded through the International Partnership Initiative of the Networks of Centres of Excellence and the International Development Research Centre.

ICCE allows us to collaborate with experts in aging across the globe.

ICCE Partners

  1. Ariela Lowenstein, Israel
  2. Bilkish Cassim, South Africa
  3. Brian Draper, Australia
  4. Bridget Penhale, England
  5. Brigitte Santos-Eggimann, Switzerland
  6. Edward Leung, China
  7. K. L. Sharma, India
  8. Marion McMurdo, Scotland
  9. Thomas Goergen, Germany

Initial Funding

NICE was funded in 2005 under a grant from the Networks of Centres of Excellence -- New Initiative Program.

Mobilizing research excellence for the benefit of Canadians, the NCE brings together researchers and partners from the academic, private, public and non-profit sectors in areas of strategic importance for Canada: Information and Communication Technologies; Engineering and Manufacturing; Environment and Natural Resources; and the Health and Life Sciences.

These unique partnerships among universities, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations are aimed at turning Canadian research and entrepreneurial talent into economic and social benefits for all Canadians. These nation-wide, multidisciplinary and multisectoral partnerships connect excellent research with industrial know-how and strategic investment. By involving thousands of talented young Canadians in their work, NCEs are training tomorrow’s scientific leaders and ensuring Canada’s continued role as a world science and technology leader.

Board of Directors

  • Elsa Marziali
  • Sandi Hirst
  • Ariela Lowenstein
  • Lynn McDonald

Partners

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National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (NICE)
246 Bloor Street West, Room 234
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V4, Canada

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