Books

Introducing Dr. Gifford-Jones’ Book: ‘Healthy Retirement Residence Living’

by W. Gifford-Jones, MD and Diana Gifford-Jones Views: 104

Upon more than 50 years of writing a weekly medical column, Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, at the age of 100, brings us his 10th book: Healthy Retirement Residence Living: What Does the Doctor Say?

Drawing on experience gained over decades of fighting for better health for Canadians, this must-read guide empowers seniors and their families with the information they won’t hear from the marketing teams at retirement residences – and the book challenges the sector to step up.

Dr. Gifford-Jones addresses the realities of moving into a retirement home—a transition filled with uncertainty and change. With his straightforward approach, he provides advice to help readers navigate the challenges, adapt to their new environment, and enjoy a fulfilling lifestyle.

The book emphasizes wellness, independence, and making informed decisions about retirement living. It is packed with health tips, candid humor, and decades of medical wisdom.

Each chapter looks at health risks and challenges in retirement residence living, offering a doctor’s advice with the characteristic humour and common-sense style for which Dr. Gifford- Jones is well known. A chapter entitled “Where is the bar?” chides the owners of retirement homes for depriving residences of a cozy pub-like environment for gathering at the day’s end.

In another chapter, Gifford-Jones cautions against the combination of ample food and little exercise. Several chapters offer the kind of medical advice that doctors deliver best on topics dealing with bathrooms and bowel health.

With Canada’s aging population, this book is more relevant than ever. Dr. W. Gifford-Jones’ insights will resonate with readers who are considering retirement residence living or who are supporting loved ones through the process.

To purchase a copy, visit www.docgiff.com/books or call 613-222-2227.

Author: W. Gifford-Jones, MD and Diana Gifford-Jones

Dr. Ken Walker (who writes under the pseudonym of Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, MD) is a graduate of the University of Toronto and the Harvard Medical School. He trained in general surgery at Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University and in Gynecology at Harvard. His storied medical career began as a general practitioner, ship’s surgeon, and hotel doctor. For more than 40 years, he specialized in gynecology, devoting his practice to the formative issues of women’s health. In 1975, he launched his weekly medical column that has been published by national and local Canadian and U.S. newspapers. Today, the readership remains over seven million.

His advice contains a solid dose of common sense and he never sits on the fence with controversial issues. He is the author of nine books including, “The Healthy Barmaid”, his autobiography “You’re Going To Do What?”, “What I Learned as a Medical Journalist”, and “90+ How I Got There!”

Many years ago, he was successful in a fight to legalize heroin to help ease the pain of terminal cancer patients. His foundation at that time donated $500,000 to establish the Gifford-Jones Professorship in Pain Control and Palliative Care at the University of Toronto Medical School. At 93 years of age he rappelled from the top of Toronto’s City Hall (30 stories) to raise funds for children with a life-threatening disease through the Make-a-Wish Foundation.  His hobby is trap shooting.

He is married to Susan and has four children and twelve grandchildren.

Diana MacKay writes in collaboration with her father under the pen name, Diana Gifford-Jones.  The daughter of W. Gifford-Jones, MD, Diana has extensive global experience in health and healthcare policy.  Diana is Special Advisor with The Aga Khan University, which operates 2 quaternary care hospitals and numerous secondary hospitals, medical centres, pharmacies, and laboratories in South Asia and Africa.  She worked for ten years in the Human Development sectors at the World Bank, including health policy and economics, nutrition, and population health.

For over a decade at The Conference Board of Canada, she managed four health-related executive networks, including the Roundtable on Socio-Economic Determinants of Health, the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, the Canadian Centre for Environmental Health, and the Centre for Health System Design and Management. Her master’s degree in public policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government included coursework at Harvard Medical School.  She is also a graduate of Wellesley College.  She has extensive experience with Canadian universities, including at Carleton University, where she was the Executive Director of the Global Academy.

She lived and worked in Japan for four years and speaks Japanese fluently. Diana has the designation as a certified Chartered Director from The Directors College, a joint venture of The Conference Board of Canada and McMaster University.  She has recently published a book on the natural health philosophy of W. Gifford-Jones, called No Nonsense Health – Naturally!

The weekly column by W. Gifford-Jones, MD has been published without interruption for 45 years.  The same no-nonsense tradition now continues in a father-daughter collaboration.

2 Comments

  1. John Walker
    February 12, 2025 at 6:48 pm  ·  Reply

    Go Dad!! Giff is actually just about to turn 102 and he is still working writing books, medical columns, and helping Canadians to lead healthier and happier lives!

    I’m so proud of him (and my mother too who has put up with Giff through 69 years of marriage)!

    If you have always wondered about what retirement home living is all about, this book is for you. Retirement living or not, Giff’s wisdom and laughter always shines through. Well worth the read!

  2. Diana MacKay
    February 12, 2025 at 5:52 pm  ·  Reply

    So proud of my pa. xoxo

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