The Pathways Series

Oddgeir Synnes is Associate Professor VID Specialized University, Oslo, Norway. Synnes is a literary scholar and works with applying perspectives from the humanities to healthcare and care for older adults – both through practical projects and in research. His key areas of interest include cultural and narrative gerontology, creative writing and storytelling, visual arts and dementia, and literary representations of illness. His most recent books are Ways of Home Making in Care for Later Life (2020. Palgrave Macmillan) co-edited with Bernike Pasveer and Ingunn Moser and A Poetic Language of Ageing (forthcoming, Bloomsbury Academic) co-edited with Olga V. Lehmann

Dr. Irwin-Kenyon was born in Montreal, Quebec, and completed his early studies at Concordia University. He did his doctoral work at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and then became a postdoctoral Fellow at the Andrew Norman Institute for Advanced Studies in Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Southern California. He was also a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Linkoping, Sweden, and is a frequent visiting scholar in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. Dr. Gary Irwin-Kenyon is founding Chair and Professor at the Gerontology Department, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

He is a Fellow of the Andrew Norman Institute for Advanced Studies in Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Southern California. Gary is listed in Who’s Who in Canada (Grey House Publishing) and the United States (Marquis Biographies Online).

He has authored, co-authored or co-edited six books, including Narrative Gerontology, Storying Later Life, Restorying Your Life, Ordinary Wisdom, and Pathways to Stillness.

Gary is a teacher and practitioner of Tai Chi with more than thirty years of experience. He designed a program, Tai Chi as Narrative Care, which he has been teaching for the past ten years to special groups, including residents in long-term care. He conducts workshops and seminars in Canada, The United States, Europe, and Asia. Gary is also an apprentice barista. He resides in St. Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick, Canada with his wife Liz, where they operate Seahaven, an organic B&B.

Ashley first became interested in the field of aging when she was providing care to her grandmother at home.

She has fifteen years of experience in community and long-term care. Alongside Person Centred Universe, Ashley is the Executive Director of Loch Lomond Villa in New Brunswick.

Ashley has developed numerous training programs including the use of individualized music therapy, therapeutic activity, and Snoezelen Rooms, among others.

Ashley holds a BA in Gerontology, is a certified educator for the Dementia Understanding the Journey Course, holds a certificate from the NCCDP as a Certified Dementia Practitioner and is certified for Dementia Care Mapping from the trailblazing Bradford University in the UK. She is currently pursuing a Global Executive MBA with a focus in Health & the Life Sciences from the Rotman School of Management

She has previously been a board member of the provincial chapter and national federation of the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.

Daphne has twenty years of experience working in a variety of roles in long-term care in Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

Before recently deciding to focus on providing full -time leadership at Person Centred Universe, Daphne held numerous leadership roles in the Aging Care space, both informal and formal. A highlight of her career has been serving as the long-time Executive Director of Nashwaak Villa Nursing Home in New Brunswick, which she took through a transformation to become an award-winning Planetree Gold Certified organization following the principles of person-centred care.

At Person Centred Universe she provides transformational leadership coaching and other consulting services, develops new programs, and is a sought-after speaker in industry events.

Daphne holds a BA in Gerontology, M.Ed in Adult Education, a diploma in Health Sciences specializing in Therapeutic Recreation, and is certified for Dementia Care Mapping from the trailblazing Bradford University in the UK.

She has previously been a board member of the provincial chapter and national federation of the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.

Rahzeb is the founder of Lifelong Inspiration. Lifelong Inspiration promotes and develops ideas, services and tools to advance a person-centred agenda. In long-term care, Lifelong Inspiration is most well known for True Doors®, decals help that improve the lives of people with dementia. True Doors began as a social art and life story project and is now a respected brand adopted from Tasmania to Vancouver.

Rahzeb has been a London city banker, market analyst, and language technology entrepreneur. He and his family are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.