Despite Canada’s increasing population of seniors and the varying long-term care (LTC) strategies that provinces have implemented, little research has focused on understanding the extent to which publicly funded residential LTC bed supply varies across provinces, or the factors influencing this variation. Our study involved an analysis in which we examined the association of three select jurisdictional characteristics with LTC bed supply: population age demographics, provincial wealth, and provincial investments in home care. No significant cross-jurisdictional “ecology” or inter-relatedness was found between the variation in LTC bed supply and any of the examined variables. Interprovincial variation in bed supply also did not statistically influence alternate level of care days specific to LTC waits, suggesting that these days were not influenced simply by differences in LTC bed supply and that other provincial-level factors were in play.

The effects of long-term hospitalizations can be severe, especially among older adults. In Manitoba, between fiscal years 1991/1992 and 1999/2000, 40 per cent of acute care hospital days were used by the 5 per cent of patients who had long stays, defined as stays of more than 30 days. These proportions were remarkably stable, despite major changes in the bed supply. Approximately two thirds of long-stay patients were aged 75 or older. Medical record review for a small sample of long-stay medical patients aged 75 or older revealed that 42 per cent of the days spent in hospital were spent either awaiting transfer to another level of care (home care, nursing home, or chronic care), or were due to in-hospital factors, such as awaiting consults, tests, or treatments. Hospital information systems and early discharge planning may help to alleviate lengthy discharge delays and result in better care for these patients.

This paper examines 16-year trends in the utilization of hospital and physician services by Manitobans aged 75 and more, using data from the Manitoba Population Health Research Data Repository. Trends are examined across five measures of hospital services (separations, short-stay days, long-stay days, cataract surgeries, and hip/knee replacements) and two measures of physician care (overall visit rate, and proportion having seven or more visits). Results show changes in the utilization of these services among older adults living in Manitoba over time, with the extent of change varying with the service under consideration, age, and location of residence. Previously large utilization differentials are shown to be shrinking; for example, cataract surgery rates across regions and physician visit rates by age. For other services, such as the rates of hip or knee replacement surgery, the differences across regions are increasing. Findings indicate that global generalizations about the impact of older adults on the health care system are subject to question, as regional differences and differences between age groups (75–84, 85+) can be significant.

Objectives: Due to the aging baby boom population, utilization rates of diagnostic imaging (i.e., X-ray, CT, and MRI scanning) have risen rapidly relative to other health services. The aim of this study is to investigate the utilization patterns of outpatient diagnostic imaging services (X-ray, CT, and MRI) across the late life course (65 years and older).

Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted for the period April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006. All Ontario residents aged 65+ and eligible for government health insurance were included in the analysis.

Results: Utilization of diagnostic imaging followed an inverted U-pattern: increasing with advancing age, peaking in the 80–84 age group for CT scans and in the 70–74 age group for MRI and X-rays, and then declining in the later years. Overall, females received significantly more X-rays than males (p < .01), but males received significantly more CT and MRI scans (p < .01). A small proportion of high-users of radiology services accounted for a large proportion of overall utilization. Finally, our analysis revealed that a disproportionately large proportion of high-users of MRI services were in the highest SES quintile. No SES differences were observed for X-ray or CT scans.

Conclusions: Population aging will lead to increased demand for healthcare services. Utilization of outpatient diagnostic imaging services is associated with age, gender, and SES. Given the increasing demand and the limited resources available, there may be a need for programs to target underserved populations to reduce remediable inequities. Whereas patient-level decisions regarding the use of diagnostic imaging are rightfully determined on the basis of clinical factors, allocation decisions should also be informed by the ethical principles of equity and fairness.

Objective: To describe a population-based, multifaceted shared-care intervention for late-life depression in residential care as a new model of geriatric practice, to outline its development and implementation, and to describe the lessons learned during the implementation process. Setting: A large continuing-care retirement community in Sydney, Australia, providing three levels of care (independent living units, assisted-living complexes, and nursing homes). Participants:) The intervention was implemented for the entire non-nursing home population (residents in independent and assisted living: N = 1,466) of the facility and their health care providers. Of the 1,036 residents who were eligible and agreed to be interviewed, 281 (27.1%) were classified as depressed according to the Geriatric Depression Scale. Intervention Description: The intervention included: (a) multidisciplinary collaboration between primary care physicians, facility health care providers, and the local psychogeriatric service; (b) trainning for primary care physicians and other facility health care providers about detecting and managing depression; and (c) depression-related health education/promotion programs for residents. Conclusions: The intervention was widely accepted by residents and their health care providers, and was sustained and enhanced by the facility after the completion of the study. It is possible to implement and sustain a multifaceted shared-care intervention for late-life depression in a residential care facility where local psychogeriatric services are scarce, staff-to-resident ratios are low, and the needs of depressed to residents are substantial.

A questionnaire survey was carried out to examine the views of general practitioners in one Northern city regarding whether or not they thought that hearing aids should be prescribed from general practice, who they thought should prescribe them and whether or not additional resources and training would be needed if the responsibility for hearing aid prescription for the elderly was placed upon general practitioners.

The survey indicated that whereas many general practitioners would be in favour of prescribing hearing aids from Health Centres, many would need extra training and resources to enable them to do so.