Second home care symposium scheduled for April 15

CONNOR LUCZKA, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After the success of last year’s home care symposium, local advocate Paul Brown is back with another – and this time he is promising a larger panel of experts to match the community’s larger interest.

As Brown said, by mid-March last year, the 2025 symposium had 35 people signed up. By mid-March this year, the 2026 symposium had 125.

"There was kind of an awakening at last year’s event,” Brown said. “And there was a thirst for information, and people were excited to hear the things that those speakers spoke about. But now we're looking for action, and how can we as a community bring the people, the powers that be, to see this as a major issue, not just because of the cohort of the population that's over 65, but (as) a way to change health care.”

As Brown said, home care, the health-care services historically meant only for those who require care in their home, is an evolving idea. Taking inspiration from former Minister of Health Dr. Jane Philpott, Brown advocates for home care that is an integral and expanded part of modern Ontarian health services, where everyone has access to care right in the heart of their lives: their home and community.

“A lot of people think it's just for the elderly,” Brown explained. “And when I use home care as part of primary care, it's health care for all. It could be a new baby business for new moms. It could be some of these new applications that (are) on your watch and on your cell phone and reading your blood pressure and your weight and your different health elements.

“... We got to look for home care for everybody. And that's the thing I think more and more seniors are relating to, is helping seniors, but also having a responsibility for caring for all people, home care, caring for all.”

This year, Brown and his organizing body Healthnext have scheduled eight guest speakers, including:

• Robert Claiborne, architect and partner at DIALOG Design.

• Karen Cochrane, human-computer interaction professor at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.

• Dr. Kim Glimour, primary care lead with the Ontario Health Team, Huron Perth and Area.

• Roger Koert, chair of the City of Stratford’s accessibility advisory committee.

• John Lord, author of Pathways to Inclusion: Building a New Story with People and Communities.

• Plinio Morita, director of the Network for Aging Research at the University of Waterloo.

• Doug Morton, vice president of government relations with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Group.

• Neha Oberoi, the health and wellness lead with CSA Group.

The home care symposium takes place April 15 at the Stratford Country Club from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those interested can register for free at https://tinyurl.com/2ba994zk.