Professor Janet Fast
Co-Investigator
Janet’s research areas include Economics of aging and family/friend care; Family economic issues; Public policy (health and continuing care, labour, income security).
She holds a doctorate in Family and Consumer Economics from Cornell University.
Throughout her career, Janet has engaged in research, policy and practice with a focus on the economics of aging and the paid work and unpaid care work of family members. Her research addresses family, labour, health and continuing care policy issues, and she is often called on to consult with or advise government policy-makers and NGOs on policy related to caregiving and workplace supports.
Professor Janet Fast currently co-leads an international and multidisciplinary research team investigating the intersection of work and care across the life course. She is a member of the leadership team for the AGE-WELL National Centres of Excellence program focused on assistive technologies that support the health and well-being of older adults and their caregivers.
From her first professional jobs in community education, practice and advocacy with national and local NGOs, Dr Fast has worked to create and transfer knowledge, to engage with public, government and other user groups, and to work at the interfaces among them.
Her numerous publications include chapters in books such as Blurring the Boundaries: Ageing at the Intersection of Work and Home Life; Family Time: the Social Organization of Care; and Rural Ageing: A Good Place to Grow Old?
She has also contributed research articles to such academic journals as Research on Aging, Canadian Journal on Aging and Journal of Family and Economic Issues. Janet has joined the editorial board of a journal titled the International Journal on Care and Caring, which has been published since 2017 by Policy Press.
Research and publications
Fast, J., Eales, J., Keating, N., Lee, Y. and Kim, C. (2020) Trajectories of family care over the life course: Evidence from Canada, Aging and Society, DOI: 10.1017/S0144686X19001806
Leslie, M., Gray, R.., Eales, J., Fast, J., Magnaye, A., and Khayatzadeh-Mahani, A. (2020) Seeking resilience: The care capacity goals of family carers and the role of technology in achieving them. BMC Geriatrics, 20(1).
Magnaye, A., Eales, J., Fast, J., Stolow, M. and Leslie, M. (2020) Caregivers’ “failure to thrive”: A case for health and continuing care systems transformation, Special joint issue of the Healthcare Management Forum and the International Journal of Care Coordination on system transformation.
Duncan, K., Fast, J., Shooshtari, S., Roger, K., and Han, J. (2020) The cost of caring: Out‐of‐pocket expenditures and financial hardship among Canadian carers, International Journal of Care and Caring. DOI: 10.1332/239788220X15845551975572
Lero, D., and Fast, J. E. (2020) The availability and use of flexible work arrangements and caregiving leaves: Lessons learned about policies and practice, Journal of Law and Equity Volume: 14, Pages 1-31
Keating, N. C., Eales, J. Funk, L., Fast, J. and Min, J. (2019) Life course trajectories of family care. International Journal of Care and Caring, DOI:10.1332/239788219X15473079319309
Shooshtari, S., Duncan, K.A., Roger, K., Fast, J. and Han, J. (2017) Care-related out-of-pocket spending and caregiving consequences: Results from a Canadian population-based study. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Pages 1-16