Social isolation in older adults can contribute to negative health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this, but an arts-based program can alleviate some of the loneliness.
National policies could improve long-term care, but major party election platforms do not address the pressing needs of seniors in care, even after the catastrophic toll of COVID-19 in care homes.
Robot pets are marketed as substitutes for living animals. Rather, we should use existing technologies to design robots that provide other services, like health care and lifestyle support.
The failure of for-profit long-term care homes to protect residents during the pandemic is well-known. But non-profits also under-performed governments in preventing COVID-19 deaths.
New research shows that people who suffer from mental disorders earlier in life were more likely to subsequent develop physical diseases, age faster, and also die earlier than those who did not.
Older adults in rural areas in Canada are more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19, including related ones like social connections and public health information outreach.
In the absence of guidelines or training regarding sexual expression in long-term care homes, most staff are ‘just winging it’ on potentially sensitive issues.
‘Dementia friendly’ communities seek to support people with memory loss, recognize them as equals, celebrate their contributions and enable them to live with purpose in welcoming communities.
Loss of muscle mass is a growing concern for the tens of millions of older Americans. It leads to falls and increased isolation, already a huge problem during coronavirus.
Older adults who are caregivers to someone with a health condition or disability report severe and unrelenting levels of stress and isolation during COVID-19 due to pandemic-related protocols.
Canadians are living longer, but are they living well? The challenges to aging well go beyond the problems in long-term care. Substantial change to Canada’s support service systems is long overdue.
Older adults – despite their awareness of increased risk of COVID-19 – are not reporting more feelings of anxiety, anger or stress than younger age groups.
Canadians love hockey and many play the sport well into their senior years. A researcher who spent time with a Silver Skaters league found their unique love of the game could help younger players.