Cinq générations doivent actuellement cohabiter sur le marché du travail, ce qui peut entraîner plusieurs bénéfices, mais également un risque de tensions et de conflits susceptibles de nuire à la collaboration des équipes de travail et à la santé des personnes vieillissantes. La coopération intergénérationnelle au travail (CIT) a été relevée dans la littérature comme une avenue intéressante pour diminuer le risque de conflits intergénérationnels, mais elle demeure peu concrètement définie. Cette étude vise à proposer une définition opérationnelle du concept de coopération intergénérationnelle au travail à l’aide de la méthode d’analyse de Walker and Avant (2019). Quarante-huit manuscrits ont été répertoriés, permettant d’identifier huit attributs caractérisant la CIT, sept antécédents et six conséquents du concept. Cette étude fait ressortir le rôle des différents acteurs dans la CIT, met en lumière les bénéfices de la CIT et permet de considérer son rôle en prévention des lésions professionnelles.

Au cours du vieillissement, les adultes ayant une déficience intellectuelle (DI) vivent de nombreux changements susceptibles d’influencer leurs possibilités d’exercer leurs activités quotidiennes et leurs rôles sociaux. Une bonne connaissance de leurs points de vue sur le sujet apparaît cruciale pour mieux adapter l’offre de services à leurs besoins. Cette recherche a pour but de mieux comprendre les points de vue des personnes ayant une DI à l’égard de leurs possibilités de participation sociale à travers l’avancée en âge. Des entrevues individuelles et un atelier participatif ont été réalisés avec des adultes âgés de 40 à 75 ans dans la ville de Québec. L’analyse de leurs propos a permis d’identifier leurs points de vue relatifs à trois thèmes, soit leurs capacités, les possibilités d’exercer leur participation sociale et les soutiens reçus. Pour conclure, des recommandations sont proposées afin que les pratiques soutiennent réellement leur participation sociale à travers l’avancée en âge.

We explored the relationship between neighbourhood and social participation among older adults using a Living Environments and Active Aging Framework. This prospective cohort study used baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) with a 3-year follow-up. Three aspects of social participation were the outcomes; walkability and greenness at baseline were exposure variables. The sample consisted of 50.0% females (n=16,735, age 72.9± 5.6 years). In males, higher greenness was associated with lower loneliness and less variety in social activities. No significant associations between greenness and social participation were found in females. High walkability was related to a higher variety of social activity and higher loneliness in males but not females, and less desire for more social activity in both sexes. Greenness and walkability impact social participation among older adults. Future research should include sex and gender-based analyses.

The aim of this study was to explore the perspectives of older medicinal cannabis consumers and those advising them on older Canadians’ experiences accessing cannabis and information about it, as well as how stigma may influence their experiences. A concurrent triangulation mixed methods design was used. The design was qualitatively driven and involved conducting semi-structured interviews with older adults and advisors and developing a survey for older adults. We used a Qualitative Descriptive approach for the analysis of qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative survey data. Findings demonstrate that many older adults are accessing information about cannabis for medical purposes from retailers, either because they are reticent to talk to their healthcare professionals or were rebuffed when bringing up the subject. We recommend cannabis education be required for healthcare professionals working with older persons and that future research examines their perspectives on medicinal cannabis and older adults.

We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of frailty screening using handgrip strength with gait speed measures within four primary care-based memory clinics in Ontario. This mixed methods quality improvement initiative examined the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of frailty screening from the perspective of patients (N = 216), care partners (N = 142), and healthcare providers (N = 9). Frailty screening was well-received by patients and care partners and perceived as quick and easy to administer and integrate into assessment processes by healthcare providers at all four memory clinics. The ease of integrating frailty screening into clinic processes was a key factor facilitating implementation; few challenges or suggestions for improvement were identified. All four clinics plan to continue frailty screening, three using the methods adopted in this study. Integrating frailty screening into memory assessments is feasible and acceptable and, given the interactional relationship between frailty and dementia, provides a significant opportunity to improve health outcomes for older adults.

Relationship-centred mealtimes can support care home residents, who are at high risk for loneliness. However, care home staff do not consistently promote relationship-centred mealtimes. This secondary analysis examined the impact of factors (selected based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour) upon care home staff interest in making mealtimes more relationship-centred. Data were from a cross-sectional, quantitative survey of 670 care home staff from North America. We used multivariable logistic regression to test hypotheses. The model was statistically significant, and explained 13 per cent of the variance in staff members’ interest in making mealtimes more relationship-centred. Respondents who were more satisfied with current mealtime practices, had used collaborative change strategies in the past, and who perceived organizational support for relationship-centred care were more likely to have interest in making mealtimes more relationship-centred. These are modifiable factors to target in interventions designed to promote care home staff interest in making mealtimes more relationship-centred.

La maltraitance organisationnelle envers les personnes aînées est présente dans différentes organisations, y compris dans le secteur de la santé et des services sociaux. Elle peut entraîner des conséquences négatives importantes sur la santé mentale et physique, ainsi que la qualité de vie, des personnes aînées qui la subissent. L’objectif de cet article est de présenter les enjeux éthiques liés à la maltraitance organisationnelle perpétrée envers les personnes aînées qui reçoivent des services de soutien à domicile. Une approche d’inspiration phénoménologique utilisée auprès d’ergothérapeutes pour identifier les enjeux éthiques de leur pratique a mené à une analyse des enjeux éthiques spécifiquement liés à des situations de maltraitance organisationnelle. Quinze ergothérapeutes (n=15) œuvrant en soutien à domicile au Québec ont été rencontrés dans le cadre d’entretiens individuels. L’analyse a été effectuée en utilisant une perspective écologique. Les résultats de l’analyse révèlent plusieurs enjeux éthiques complexes de nature micro, méso et macrosystémiques, dont l’abandon administratif des bonnes pratiques, l’accès déficitaire aux services, la chosification de l’aîné, la dépersonnalisation des services et la tolérance des violences.

Increasing rates of dementia in First Nations populations require culturally grounded approaches to dementia diagnosis and care. To respond to the need for a culturally appropriate cognitive assessment tool, a national team of health services researchers and community partners, guided by a Nakoda Advisory Group, aimed to adapt the Canadian Indigenous Cognitive Assessment tool for a Nakoda First Nation in Carry the Kettle First Nation, Saskatchewan, Canada. The adaptation of the CICA for a Nakoda First Nation community resulted in a slightly modified version of the CICA signalling that the CICA requires minimal adaptation to be used in different First Nations contexts.

Notre société segmentée par l’âge offre peu de possibilités d’interactions intergénérationnelles authentiques. Cela contribue aux stéréotypes et préjugés envers les personnes de tous âges, particulièrement les adultes aînés. Pour favoriser une société plus inclusive et lutter contre l’âgisme, un changement de paradigme sociétal devient nécessaire. À partir d’une recherche basée sur la conception et l’apprentissage intergénérationnel, nous avons cherché à mieux caractériser ces apprentissages afin de développer des formations spécifiques pour les appuyer. Basé sur un questionnaire préliminaire (n=79), nous avons conçu un atelier pilote (français/anglais) avec huit adultes aînées et huit jeunes adultes au cours duquel les participants ont dû réaliser en binôme une vidéo sur TikTok. Nos résultats indiquent que l’apprentissage intergénérationnel doit se fonder sur une pédagogie active, les activités et les objectifs pédagogiques doivent être multiples pour être réalisées en binômes intergénérationnels, le format doit permettre de développer une relation de confiance et l’évaluation doit être personnelle.

This study provides researchers, practitioners, and policy makers with a profile of older adults’ travel behaviour and the older adult population that reports unmet travel needs. In addition, we quantified associations between reporting an unmet travel need and measures of health and social connectedness. Data came from the second follow-up survey of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, collected from 2018 to 2021 (n = 14,167). Nine in ten (90.2%) older adults aged 65 years and older indicated that driving is the main way they get around. Older adults with an unmet travel need were more likely to be women, have lower household incomes and education levels, and have a mobility limitation. People with an unmet travel need had 2.7 times the odds of reporting fair or poor general health (OR = 2.66, 95% CI: 2.19, 3.22) and 3.1 times the odds of feeling socially isolated (OR = 3.10, 95% CI: 2.57, 3.72) compared to those without an unmet need.

Despite societal perceptions of older adults as vulnerable, literature on resilience suggests that exposure to adversity and resources gained with life experience contribute to adaptation. One way to explore the nature of resilience is to document assets supporting adaptation. Interviews were conducted with older adults living in Canada at two time points during the COVID-19 pandemic, September 2020–May 2021 (T1) and January–August 2022 (T2). Reflexive thematic analysis was completed to report on what older adults identified as assets and how they understood the value of those assets for resilience. Participants indicated that the potential value of their contributions went largely untapped at the level of the community but supported individual and household adaptation. In line with calls for an all-of-society approach to reduce disaster risk and support resilience, creating a culture of inclusivity that recognizes the potential contributions of older adults should be paired with opportunities for action.

Persons living with dementia are at risk of becoming lost. While return discussions after missing incidents are common with children, these discussions are seldom done with persons living with dementia. Our objective was to describe the use of return discussions with persons living with dementia according to the literature and practice. We conducted a scoping review using 19 databases to locate scholarly and grey literature on return discussions, followed by 20 semi-structured interviews with first responders and service providers in Canada and the United Kingdom (UK). Eleven scholarly and 94 grey sources were included, most from the UK, related to missing children, none included persons with dementia. According to participants, although there was no standardized procedure, there were themes about conditions that facilitate return discussions. This was the first study to examine return discussion practice in dementia, and results can inform development of evidence-based protocols.

As Western society becomes increasingly digitally dependent and many older adults actively engage in the online world, understanding the experiences of those who largely do not use digital technology in their daily lives is crucial. Individual interviews were conducted (pre-pandemic) with 23 older adults who, based on self-identification, did not regularly use digital technology, exploring how their experiences as limited digital technology users may have impacted their daily lives. An iterative collaborative qualitative analysis demonstrated three main themes: internet concerns, frustrations with digital technology, and conflicting motivators to use digital technology. Findings suggest that addressing digital concerns and providing effective digital skill learning opportunities may encourage some older adults to become more digitally engaged. However, as people, including older adults, can be uninterested in using these technologies, organizations and institutions should work to offer ways to support people of all ages who are not engaged online.

Restrictions on family presence during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the health of patients and their families. Although there was an expressed need for family involvement in care, guidelines for integrating family members as care partners were lacking. To facilitate family members’ involvement, the Designated Care Partner (DCP) program was implemented at a community hospital. This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of this program. Findings aim to inform healthcare organizations that are seeking ways to integrate family members as care partners.

Dans le contexte pandémique de la COVID-19, les personnes aînées se sont retrouvées confinées et isolées, et ce, même dans le cadre d’un milieu de vie collective. Cet article fait état d’une étude de la portée sur les bienfaits d’un chœur intergénérationnel pour personnes aînées et les stratégies à considérer pour sa mise en place. L’analyse de 16 études sur ce sujet a permis de se familiariser avec les résultats, les recommandations et les pistes de recherche en lien avec le bien-être et le sens de satisfaction que retirent les personnes aînées qui participent à un chœur, de même que des interventions en chant choral à privilégier. De plus, cette activité qui est peu couteuse et bénéfique est considérée comme une intervention de nature préventive qui contribue au bien-être des personnes aînées et à leur prise en charge pour un vieillissement en santé. Par ailleurs, les résultats suggèrent de continuer à documenter l’efficacité des stratégies proposées pour les améliorer ou les adapter afin de maximiser les effets positifs d’une telle activité sur le bien-être physique, social, émotionnel et cognitif des personnes aînées.

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged older adults’ health behaviours, making it even more difficult to engage in healthy diets and physical activity than it had been prepandemic. A resource to promote these could be social support. This study uses data from 136 older adults (Mage = 71.39 years, SD = 5.15, range: 63–87) who reported their daily fruit and vegetable consumption, steps, and health-behaviour-specific support from a close other every evening for up to 10 consecutive days. Findings show that on days when participants reported more emotional support than usual, fruit and vegetable consumption and step counts were higher. Daily instrumental support was positively associated with step counts, only. Participants receiving more overall emotional support across the study period consumed more fruit and vegetables; no parallel person-level association was found for overall steps. There were no significant interactions between dyad type and support links for our outcomes.

Postprandial hypotension (PPH) is defined as a postprandial decline in systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 20 mm of Hg. Some have recommended the use of acarbose (an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor) as a potential therapy for PPH based exclusively on studies of older adults with diabetes. Using a randomized placebo-controlled design, 43 older adults (23 women, 20 men, mean age 77.1 ± 0.9 years) were recruited from geriatric medicine outpatient clinics in an academic centre. Although the average decrease in SBP during the meal test was significantly attenuated in the acarbose group (standardized β = 0.724 ± 0.286, p = 0.017), the acarbose group experienced significantly more PPH events (standardized β = 0.593 ± 0.279, p = 0.040). Although acarbose attenuated the mean decrease in SBP during the meal test, it did not reduce the actual number of PPH events recorded in a general population of older adults.

ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT01914133.

As demographics and gender norms shift, more older men will be providing care for their wives living with dementia than ever before. Research on husbands as caregivers is limited and offers an incomplete picture of their role development and how they experience caregiving. This study examined husbands whose wives have dementia and how they provide care and construct their sense of self. Semi-structured interviews with 11 men aged 61–88 were conducted in Ontario, Canada. Data were analyzed using constant comparison analysis and a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach. Two categories were developed: Adapting to the Role of Caregiver and Staying a Husband. Caregiving as a husband for a wife living with dementia required revision of the role of husband to include that of caregiver by reimaging intimacy, being a protector in new ways, and finding new meanings to being a provider and the value of wealth.