Project Update
Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE)
The ICOPE program promotes a preventive, integrated and person-centred approach to supporting the health, independence and quality of life of older adults.
By regularly monitoring the capacities that are essential to well-being and independence, ICOPE helps identify changes earlier and facilitates timely access to appropriate resources and interventions.
Project Update
DuraGym
DuraGym is an evidence-based exercise program designed to improve autonomy, mobility and independence for older adults.
Led by kinesiologists and based on the validated Otago Exercise Program, DuraGym offers supervised, progressive training that targets strength, balance and functional mobility in a safe and welcoming environment.
About the Centre
The Simone & Édouard Schouela RUISSS McGill Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health of Seniors (Schouela CEDurable) is a PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre for Sustainable Health Solutions for Older People. Based at the Santé Québec West-Central Montreal Health and Social Services University Network and part of the McGill RUISSS, the Centre advances and implements validated solutions to improve the health and well-being of older adults.
We translate research into practice, strengthen effective programs, and share knowledge locally and internationally to help older adults remain healthy, mobile, and engaged.
Our Platforms
Our activities focus on implementing evidence-based supported interventions that have demonstrated their effectiveness in research studies but still require implementation in real life in our communities. We translate great ideas into great strategies through our four different pillars.
To ensure the success of our programs, we have grouped our activities into four main platforms covering several areas, such as health care and the delivery of health services, autonomy, mobility and independence, cognitive health, healthy lifestyles, well-being, supportive environments and communities, as well as the maintenance of social ties.
DURAgym
The DURAgym program is our supervised, validated exercise program that promotes autonomy, mobility and independence for older adults. Led by kinesiologists, it offers personalized sessions that build strength, balance, flexibility and confidence, and is especially suited for older adults with reduced mobility or functional frailty.
Frailstop
The FRAILSTOP ecosystem is a technology developed in Madrid, Spain, and validated throughout the European Union. This solution takes a modular approach, enabling all stakeholders in the healthcare network to monitor and address factors contributing to frailty in older adults, while offering the flexibility to adapt to the specific needs of each region.
Exercise Parks
Exercise Parks are outdoor activity spaces designed specifically for older adults. They promote autonomy, mobility and independence by offering safe, accessible equipment that targets strength, balance, flexibility and functional movement. Each park includes stations that are easy to use, low-impact and suited to a wide range of physical abilities, including those with reduced mobility or mild frailty.
Vivifrail
The Vivifrail Project is an international physical activity program recognized as a leading approach for preventing frailty and falls in older adults. Vivifrail is a WHO-validated system that provides older adults with a clear, personalized home exercise plan based on their mobility and strength level. Our kinesiologists use Vivifrail to guide geriatric patients at discharge or after clinic visits, ensuring they leave with a safe, tailored routine they can follow independently. We are proud to be pioneering its clinical prescription in Québec.
Key projects and initiatives
November 10, 2025
DuraGym Launch 2025
On November 6, 2025, we were delighted to welcome Dr. Debra Waters, professor and researcher at the University of Otago (New Zealand) and the University of New Mexico, for a special event within our community: the opening of our DuraGyms.
The presentation began with Dr. Gustavo Duque, who gave a short talk about the DuraGyms. Afterwards, Dr. Waters presented how tailored interventions can support mobility, autonomy, and quality of life, particularly among vulnerable communities in New Zealand and New Mexico.