BC FORUM News - from the Office of the BC Seniors Advocate Research Rounds from the Office of the BC Seniors Advocate - February, 2019 BRITISH COLUMBIA Office of the Ombudsperson Key recommendations aimed at improving quality of seniors care in BC still not implemented seven years after Ombudsperson’s sweeping investigation BC Ombudsperson Jay Chalke issues a progress report flowing from his office’s 2012 wide-ranging investigation examining seniors care and services. The Ombudsperson finds many key recommendations to significantly improve service quality and the protection of seniors rights remain outstanding. [See Full Report and Update.] University of Victoria Voices in Motion: Innovative intergenerational research choir pairs students and people living with dementia and their caregivers A partnership between multidisciplinary researchers at the University of Victoria, high schools, and Island Health explores how participation in intergenerational choirs may impact quality of life, well-being and social networks of persons living with dementia and their caregivers. CBC Radio Indigenous youth, elders to live together in new Kamloops, B.C., housing project Kikékyelc: A Place of Belonging, will be a culturally congruent 31-unit co-housing apartment complex pairing five Indigenous elders with youth who are currently in or have aged out of the provincial child welfare system. The project is part of Lii Michif Otipemisiwak Family and Community Services, a Métis-led organization in Kamloops. [See more here.] Island Health Authority Sharing the Journey: Practical Approaches to Caring for a Loved One With Dementia This 18-part video series offers family caregivers practical advice while maintaining a meaningful relationship with a loved one living with dementia. Funded by the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, these videos are useful to anyone wanting to understand more about dementia. CANADA Canadian Institute for Health Information Dementia in Home and Community Care Over 60% of seniors with dementia in Canada live at home — and they require support to do so. This analysis finds comprehensive home and community care helps maintain quality of life for people with dementia living at home while also providing needed support for caregivers. Canadian Journal on Aging ‘That Just Breaks My Heart’: Moral Concerns of Direct Care Workers Providing Palliative Care in LTC Homes This study tackled the gap in literature examining the moral concerns of non-registered, direct care workers in long-term care (LTC). Eleven focus groups explored personal support workers’ experiences providing palliative care in LTC homes and their challenges and learning needs. [See also Unpaid Caregiver Challenges and Supports in left sidebar on page.] Canadian Journal on Aging Going it Alone: A Scoping Review of Unbefriended Older Adults Volume 37, Issue 1 (March 2018) Older adults who have reduced decision-making capacity and no family or friends to compensate for these deficiencies are known as ‘unbefriended’ and require a public guardian. The purpose of this study was to review peer-reviewed and grey literature to determine the scope of available research on unbefriended older adults in Canada and the United States. McMaster University Iconic Ageing: A Seniors of Canada Initiative McMaster students engage, organize and document narratives of everyday seniors doing everything from playing dominoes to hanging out at iconic places in Hamilton. These short vignettes allow students to connect more closely with the seniors they study. [See also Seniors of Canada: A Project That Battles Ageism, One Photo At a Time, posted November 19, 2018.] INTERNATIONAL Journal of Nursing Research Nursing Staff Characteristics on Resident Outcomes in Nursing Homes Volume 27 (February 2019) Most long-term care homes in Korea employ alternative nursing staff for financial efficiencies and because of a shortage of registered nurses. The relationship between nurse-led nursing homes and staff turnover, employee tenure, and resident outcomes is examined in this pioneer research that seeks to improve both facility management and high-quality care for older adults. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Living Alone and Cognitive Function in Later Life Volume 81 (March/April 2019) Living alone, social isolation, and loneliness have all been associated with poorer cognitive function in later life. Using cognitive function data at baseline and two-year follow-up, this paper examines the associations between living alone and cognitive function in later life in rural and urban Wales. BMC Geriatrics The Influence of Organizational Factors on the Attitudes of Residential Care Staff Toward the Sexuality of Residents with Dementia Published January 8, 2019 This paper examines the effect of organizational factors, person-centered care, and organizational culture on the attitudes of care staff toward the sexuality of residents with dementia in residential care facilities in the Netherlands. Denmark Journal of Aging Studies Making Meaning of Financial Scarcity in Old Age December 2018 Through 16 interviews, this paper explores how people aged 69 to 85 years living in relative poverty experience their everyday lives and cope with their financial situations. New York Times (Opinion piece) The Joy of Being a Woman in Her 70s Posted January 12, 2019 Despite rampant ageism in America, clinical psychologist Dr. Mary Pipher finds that many older women describe themselves as being in a vibrant, happy life stage. They are resilient, with a happiness that flows from self-knowledge, emotional intelligence and empathy for others. | 
