Parental self-efficacy (PSE) is a central aspect of parenting research. Although parenting continues in older ages, few studies have focused on PSE among older adults. In line with the parenting determinant model, the study examined the associations between psychological distress, social support, loneliness, and PSE in older age.

The study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey, including 362 Israeli parents age 65 years and above. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires of psychological distress, social support, loneliness, PSE, and background information.

Results revealed that higher PSE was associated with lower psychological distress, higher social support, and a lower sense of loneliness in older adults. The research model explained 36.9 per cent of the variance in PSE among older adults.

Mental state and social conditions are important for PSE of older adults; therefore, professionals should ensure the availability of diverse solutions to enable, maintain, and promote well-being through social and familial engagement in this population.

Building on the Stereotype Content Model, the present work examined the heterogeneity of the stereotypes about older people. We aimed to broaden the range of perceived predictors of competence in older people and included respect in addition to status. Seventeen subtypes were selected in a pilot study (n = 77). The main study was conducted on a French sample (n = 212) that took part in a self-reported survey. Cluster analysis showed that specific older people subtypes appear in three combinations of warmth and competence. Correlation and regression analyses showed that competition negatively predicts warmth, and that status positively predicts competence. In a substantial number of target groups, respect played a more important role than status in the perception of group competence. To sum up, this study suggests that the perceived competence of older people is not only related to perceived socio-economic status but also to the amount of respect they receive.

Reliable treatment burden measures are needed given the aging population and the associated increase in multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Treatment burden is defined as the effort to care for one’s health and the resulting impact on one’s daily life. This study aimed to translate the Multimorbidity Treatment Burden Questionnaire (MTBQ) for French-Canadians and assess its reliability and validity. The MTBQ was translated and tested with cognitive debriefing interviews, and the French version (MTBQ-F) was then administered 2 times among 105 participants. Reliability and validity were examined using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), Cronbach’s alpha, and Spearman’s correlations. The median global MTBQ-F scores were 32.69 (interquartile range [IQR]: 21.15-48.08) and 30.77 (IQR: 21.15-46.15) for the first and second administrations, respectively. Test-retest (ICC: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.63-0.81) and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.80) were good. There was a moderate positive correlation between the MTBQ-F score and the number of self-reported conditions (rho: 0.28). This valid instrument could identify patients experiencing a high treatment burden and assess the impact of interventions among them.

If interRAI home care information were shared with primary care providers, care provision and integration could be enhanced. The objective of this study was to co-develop an interRAI-based clinical information sharing tool (i.e., the Patient Falls Risk Report) with a sample of primary care providers. This mixed-methods study employed semi-structured interviews to inform the development of the Patient Falls Risk Report and online surveys based on the System Usability Scale instrument to test its usability. Most of the interview sample (n = 9) believed that the report could support patient care by sharing relevant and actionable falls-related information. However, criticisms were identified, including insufficient detail, clarity, and support for shared care planning. After incorporating suggestions for improvement, the survey sample (n = 27) determined that the report had excellent usability with an overall usability score of 83.4 (95% CI = 78.7–88.2). By prioritizing the needs of end-users, sustainable interRAI interventions can be developed to support primary care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on older adults and their family caregivers (FCGs). For FCGs, the pandemic has impacted almost every dimension of their lives and caregiving routines, from their own risk of becoming ill to their access to resources that support caregiving. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the impact of COVID-19 on FCGs’ ability to provide care for their family member with dementia. A total of 115 FCGs who identified as having their family member living with dementia residing in the community completed the survey. Ten family caregivers participated in the follow-up focus groups. Recommendations to address the needs of FCGs now and in the future include: (1) making resources for care provision consistently available and tailored, (2) providing support for navigating the health care system, and (3) supplying concise information on how to provide care during public health emergencies.

Most seniors in Canada live at home and consistently indicate that they prefer to stay there for as long as possible. Consequently, this desire places increasing pressure on supports such as informal caregivers and community services. The current rapid review set out to examine the psychosocial aspects of aging and dying in place that point to gaps in programs and services to support this preference. We searched PubMed, PsycInfo, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed entries, and identified 42 articles for analysis, which we charted on a form we created and tested. Lack of attention to the whole person, lack of preparation for the journey ahead, and difficulties establishing collaborative and trusting relationships were, broadly, the challenges identified. A blend of initiatives in the community combined with an integrated palliative approach to care may mitigate some of the challenges that limit options for aging and dying in place.

La retraite au Canada a fait l’objet de plusieurs recherches, mais peu d’études ont comparé le passage de la vie active à la retraite des natifs et des immigrants ainsi que leurs caractéristiques une fois à la retraite, une lacune importante compte tenu de l’augmentation de la part des immigrants parmi les futures cohortes canadiennes de retraités. Cette étude descriptive vise à pallier cette lacune à l’aide des données de l’Enquête sociale générale de 2016. Les résultats montrent, entre autres, que les femmes et les hommes natifs ont plus de chances de prendre leur retraite que les immigrants, quel que soit le groupe d’âge étudié, et que l’âge moyen à la retraite des femmes et hommes immigrants est de deux ans supérieur à celui des natifs. Cette étude suggère que le statut d’immigrant implique une transition vers la retraite différente de celle vécue par les natifs ; différence qui devrait être considérée dans la structure du système de revenus de retraite.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care (LTC) has threatened to undo efforts to transform the culture of care from institutionalized to de-institutionalized models characterized by an orientation towards person- and relationship-centred care. Given the pandemic’s persistence, the sustainability of culture-change efforts has come under scrutiny. Drawing on seven culture-change models implemented in Canada, we identify organizational prerequisites, facilitatory mechanisms, and frontline changes relevant to culture change that can strengthen the COVID-19 pandemic response in LTC homes. We contend that a reversal to institutionalized care models to achieve public health goals of limiting COVID-19 and other infectious disease outbreaks is detrimental to LTC residents, their families, and staff. Culture change and infection control need not be antithetical. Both strategies share common goals and approaches that can be integrated as LTC practitioners consider ongoing interventions to improve residents’ quality of life, while ensuring the well-being of staff and residents’ families.

To document the reactions and experiences of older persons during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have conducted a qualitative study of 25 older adults (50 years of age and older) throughout the pandemic, using serial interviewing methods. This analysis reports on the data collected from the first two rounds of interviews – one conducted in the summer of 2020 and one conducted in the fall of 2020. Our thematic analysis found eight major themes: thoughts on the dangers of the pandemic, how the virus has changed daily life (including social life), health care during COVID (being a caregiver, losing a loved one, seeking health care), missing spontaneity and dealing with existential dread, the growing frustration, seeking connection through civic participation, adaptation and resilience, and the social ills that the pandemic has revealed. These stories describe both loneliness and connection, hope coupled with disappointment, but overwhelmingly, an insight into what the pandemic has shown us about the social ills that it has revealed.

In Canada, foreign-born older adults (FBOAs) have a higher prevalence of chronic conditions and poorer self-reported physical and mental health than their Canadian-born peers. However, very little research has explored FBOAs’ experiences of health care after immigration. This review aims to understand the patient experiences of older immigrants within the Canadian health care system. Employing Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for scoping reviews, we searched six databases and identified 12 articles that discussed the patient experience of this population. Although we sought to understand patient experience, the studies largely focused on barriers to care, including: communication difficulties, lack of cultural integration, systematic barriers in health care, financial barriers, and intersecting barriers related to culture and gender.

This review provides insight into new areas of research and advocates for strengthened policy and/or programming. Our review also highlights that there is a paucity of literature for an ever-growing segment of the Canadian population.

This study aimed to better understand the extent to which older adult centres are a focal point for recreation and social activities for their members. Travel diaries completed by 261 members of 12 older adult centres across Ontario provided comprehensive and real-time (24-hour) data over two consecutive weeks concerning time away from home, trip purposes, and modes of travel. The data showed that nearly one-third of their trips included a stop at their older adult centre. Three-quarters also went to other community venues over the study period, possibly to access amenities (e.g., pools) not available at their centre. Notwithstanding, their local older adult centre was still a focal point in out-of-home travel, particularly for potentially more vulnerable older adults, including those who were non-drivers, had less education, and felt lonelier. The diaries also substantiated the importance of time spent socializing with peers and staff at the centre, apart from formal program participation.

Belonging is a pervasive human need that is vital to our well-being as we age. Ageist attitudes, stereotyping, and life transitions tend to jeopardise older adults’ experiences of belonging. Although community involvement can lead to the development of social relationships that support belonging in older adulthood, little is known about how belonging is perceived and experienced by older adults. The purpose of this article is to share findings from research conducted with members of a community centre for people 50 years of age and older who shared their perceptions and experiences of belonging. Findings highlight the ways that age-related life transitions affect experiences of belonging. Findings also reveal that features of a belonging experience include feeling worthwhile, being welcomed and accepted, having opportunities for connection, and seeking to belong. We draw from these findings to suggest ways to enhance belonging for older adults.

COVID-19 has had a disproportionate and devastating impact on older adults. As health care resources suddenly shifted to emergency response planning, many health and community support services were cancelled, postponed, or shifted to virtual care. This rapid transformation of geriatric care resulted in an immediate need for practical guidance on decision making, planning and delivery of virtual care for older adults and caregivers. This article outlines the rapid co-design process that supported the development of a guidance document intended to support health and community support services providers. Data were collected through consultation sessions, surveys, and a rapid literature review, and analyzed using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods. Although this work took place within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting resources and lessons learned related to collective impact, co-design, population-based planning, and digital technologies can be applied more broadly.

With increasing numbers of persons living with dementia and their higher rates of hospitalizations, it is necessary to ensure they receive appropriate and effective acute care; yet, acute care environments are often harmful for persons with dementia. There is a lack of dementia education for acute health care providers in Canada. Scotland presently delivers a dementia education program for health care providers, known as the Scottish National Dementia Champions Programme. The objective of this Policy and Practice Note is to present the collaborative work of Scottish experts and Canadian stakeholders to adapt the Dementia Champions Programme for use in Canada. This work to date includes: (a) an environmental scan of Canadian dementia education for acute health care providers; (b) key informant interviews; and, (c) findings from a two-day planning meeting. The results of this collaborative work can and are being used to inform the next steps to develop and pilot a Canadian dementia education program.

Relationships with companion animals, or “pets”, may promote health and well-being for older adults as they age-in-place. Less is known, however, about ways that pet-related challenges may simultaneously influence aging-in-place experiences. This study explores the relational qualities of having pets later in life by considering qualitative accounts of older adults who are aging in the community. Semi-structured interviews with 14 socio-economically diverse, community-dwelling older adult pet-owners (≥ 60 years) living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, were analyzed reflexively. Four recurring themes suggested that companion animal relationships were valued in older adults’ lives and helped them cope with challenging circumstances, even when pets were central to these challenges. Findings also confirmed the relational nature of human-animal relationships as being shaped by both individual attributes and systemic factors. Methodological approaches to addressing these multifaceted complexities when studying pets and aging are considered. Enhanced cross-sectoral community and policy-level supports for aging-in-place with pets may have a population-level influence on health, well-being, and social justice across the socio-demographically diverse aging population.

A disproportionate share of the health impacts of COVID-19 has been borne by older adults, particularly those in long-term care facilities (LTCs). Vaccination has been critical to efforts to combat this issue, but as we begin to emerge from this pandemic, questions remain about how to protect the health of residents of LTC and assisted living facilities proactively in order to prevent such a disaster from occurring again. Vaccination, not just against COVID-19, but also against other vaccine-preventable illness, will be a key component of this effort. However, there are currently substantial gaps in the uptake of vaccines recommended for older adults. Technology offers an opportunity to assist in filling these vaccination gaps. Our experiences in Fredericton, New Brunswick suggest that a digital immunization solution would facilitate better uptake of adult vaccines for older adults in assisted and independent living facilities and would help policy and decision makers to identify coverage gaps and develop interventions to protect these individuals.

Malgré l’attention renouvelée de plusieurs médias sur la question des risques liés à la COVID-19 au sein de diverses communautés marginalisées au Québec, nous entendons encore très peu parler des personnes âgées immigrantes et de leurs proches. Dans cette note sur les politiques et pratiques, nous aborderons l’expérience du contexte pandémique chez les personnes âgées immigrantes montréalaises et leurs réseaux. Nous présenterons d’abord quelques données sociodémographiques sur les immigrants âgés montréalais. Nous exposerons ensuite nos constats sur les impacts de la COVID-19 sur les personnes âgées immigrantes, en particulier en ce qui concerne l’accès aux soins de la santé et aux services sociaux, la proche-aidance, l’emploi et le logement, à partir de nos travaux et de la littérature en gérontologie sociale. Nous terminerons en proposant quelques recommandations qui permettraient d’améliorer l’inclusion sociale des personnes âgées immigrantes et de leurs proches, autant en matière de politiques publiques que de pratiques sur le terrain.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation and outcomes of a quality improvement intervention for older adults discharged from hospital to home, that used a patient-centred discharge education tool called the Patient-Centered Discharge Plan (PCAP). We conducted a pre–post evaluation of PCAP implementation among patients 65 years and older and discharged home from an acute medical or geriatric admission at two general hospitals. Two patient cohorts, PRE and POST, were analysed using administrative data (n = 3,309) and post-discharge structured interviews in a subset of patients (n = 326). Outcomes were 90-day readmissions and return emergency department (ED) visits, and transition experiences (10-item scale). The PCAP was provided to 20 per cent of 1,683 patients. Transition experience scores increased from PRE to POST at both hospitals (adjusted beta 1.3; 95% CI: 0.8, 1.7), and return ED visits declined in one of the two hospitals (adjusted decline 1.3%; 95% CI: -3.7, 6.2). In conclusion, dedicated resources are needed to support future PCAP implementation.