Ongoing Projects
The centre coordinates a number of projects aimed at translating research into practice and enabling older adults to remain mobile and enjoy life. Here are some of our key projects.
Duragym
The DuraGyms program offers personalized, professionally supervised exercise sessions to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and mobility among seniors. Inspired by the well-established OTAGO Exercise Program, DuraGyms are especially suited for older adults with reduced mobility or functional frailty.
The program runs for six weeks and includes two small-group sessions per week, led by a kinesiologist. DuraGyms promote social inclusion, functional autonomy, and prevent isolation—making it a key innovation for healthy aging.
In 2024, Schouela CEDurable partnered with the Côte-des-Neiges Seniors’ Centre to launch DuraGyms in local low-income housing (HLMs), aiming to enhance support for seniors living in these communities.
Schouela CEDurable is also collaborating with the Jewish General Hospital Geriatrics Clinic to roll out DuraGyms in 2025. This initiative is designed to help seniors stay active, independent, and socially connected.
Cohort
Information and registration for future sessions will be added shortly.
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
Schouela CEDurable is collaborating with geriatrician Dr. Leocadio Rodríguez-Mañas and his team in Spain to implement this technology in Quebec.
Geriatrician Responding
The Geriatrician Responding Project is an innovative initiative launched to address the challenges of an aging population and optimize access to geriatric expertise in Quebec.
Supported by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) and the Association of Quebec Geriatricians (AMGQ), it is funded by the Institute for the Appropriateness of Medical Acts (IPAM). Pilot projects will be deployed in four RUISSS across the province of Quebec.
For the McGill RUISSS, the project is managed by Schouela CEDurable and is being rolled out in the territory of the CISSS Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The goal is to improve access to geriatric care in this currently underserved region, under the medical leadership of Dr. Julia Chabot, Coordinating Geriatrician for the McGill RUISSS.
Excercise Parks
Schouela CEDurable is actively working on the implementation of exercise parks specifically designed for seniors, inspired by an Australian model recognized for its effectiveness: the ENJOY Seniors Exercise Park.
These parks offer adapted equipment that promotes balance, strength, and mobility. Located in accessible and safe outdoor spaces, they allow participants to engage in group physical activity supervised by professionals.
Each session includes warm-ups, personalized exercises, and stretching, while encouraging socialization and the enjoyment of being active. Unlike traditional indoor programs, these exercise parks offer an innovative approach that combines physical, social, and mental well-being.
Their goal is to enhance seniors’ independence, reduce the risk of falls, and improve their quality of life.
Cohort
Information and registration for future sessions will be added shortly.
Vivifrail
The Vivifrail Project is an international physical activity promotion program, recognized as a reference in the prevention of frailty and falls among older adults.
Implemented in various settings, from home to hospital environments, it is used by over 5,000 healthcare professionals and has already benefited more than 15,000 people worldwide. This program is based on an innovative approach that considers seniors’ health in terms of functional capacity rather than diseases. This perspective makes it possible to assess and preserve autonomy, improve quality of life, and respond in a targeted way to the specific needs of aging populations.
Cohort
If your institution is interested in implementing the Vivifrail program in its setting, we will be happy to provide the necessary materials. Please contact us for more information.
Senior Adults Fitness Excercises (SAFE)
Developed by the Geriatric Division of Medicine at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in collaboration with Schouela CEDurable, safe is a series of exercise videos with one goal – to improve your quality of life. The prevention of falls, as well as overcoming the fear of falling, is a big part of that. safe will help make you feel stronger and more confident.
SAFE (Senior Adult Fitness Exercises) is an exercise program designed especially for seniors. The goal is to improve quality of life by boosting strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance and helping to prevent falls. Dr. José A. Morais, Director of the Division of Geriatrics at the McGill University Health Centre, developed this free home-based exercise program.
Caring Spaces
Caring Spaces is an initiative inspired by the Dementia Education Program (DEP), aimed at providing educational activities and support to people living with dementia (PLWD) and their caregivers, starting from the time of diagnosis.
The project targets traditionally underserved populations in Montreal and offers caregiver welcome lounges, psychosocial services, activities for PLWD, and public information events.
Its goal is to improve timely access to information, enhance quality of life, and strengthen the ability to navigate health and community resources, while training the next generation of healthcare professionals in a person-centered, interdisciplinary approach.
