A Review of Intimate Partner Violence Interventions Relevant to Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Women have experienced increased rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) since the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, and at the same time requirements for physical distancing and/or remote delivery of services have created challenges in accessing services. We synthesized research evidence from 4 systematic reviews and 20 individual studies to address how IPV interventions can be adapted within the context of the pandemic. As many interventions have been delivered via various technologies, access to technology is of particular importance during the pandemic. Our results can inform the provision of services during the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic including how to support women who have little access to in-person services.

Cohousing communities and social determinants of health in later life: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this scoping review is to chart the extent and type of literature available worldwide on cohousing communities and older adults' social determinants of health, to identify and categorize key evidence on this topic, and to highlight gaps to guide further research. INTRODUCTION: The rapidly aging population in many industrialized countries has precipitated the development of housing alternatives, such as cohousing communities, to better address older adults' housing and social needs. There is mounting evidence that living in a cohousing community has many positive outcomes for this population; however, the scope and size of this body of research are unknown. INCLUSION CRITERIA: This review will assess studies conducted in all countries and territories focusing on people aged 60 and older living in cohousing communities. It will include quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies published from 1960 to 2022. METHODS: The databases to be searched are APA PsycArticles (EBSCO), Cairn.info, Campbell Collaboration, CINAHL (EBSCO), Érudit, Google Scholar, JBI, PubMed, SAGE Journals Online, Scopus, Science Direct (Elsevier), Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest), and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global (ProQuest). Two independent reviewers will review the titles and abstracts of potential studies against the inclusion criteria for the review followed by an assessment of the full text of selected citations. Data will then be extracted using a data extraction tool developed by the reviewers. The findings will be presented graphically and include tables with a narrative summary organized by relevant geographic areas.

Exploring French Canadian high school students' interest in and perspectives of a career with older adults.

For the next 30 years, population aging will impact many facets of our society. Of specific concern is future human resources in the aging sector and related health fields. Every year, high school students make decisions related to their future careers, but few express interests in a career in aging. The goal of this study was to explore high school students' interest in and perspectives of a career in the field of aging. The specific objectives of the study were to identify high school students' perspectives of older adults, explore their level of interest in an aging-related career and understand the reasons for their level of interest for a career in aging. In this qualitative descriptive study, 41 French-speaking students in Grades 10 and 11 from an eastern Canadian province participated in a total of five focus group discussions where an educational video complemented the semi-structured interviews. Content analysis produced four common themes: perspectives of aging and older adults, exposure to aging in school, reasons for disinterest and increasing awareness and interest. Results indicate a lack of aging content or intergenerational activities in schools, whereas students made suggestions for better integration of aging content in the school curriculum. Future research with school guidance counsellors or educators would be beneficial in understanding aging content integration and student exposure to aging. Study limitations are also presented.

Initiatives to Support Older Women Who Experience Intimate Partner Violence.

To contribute to our knowledge about initiatives to support older women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV), we conducted an internet search, online surveys, and telephone interviews with administrators of programs for women who have experienced IPV. We compiled information on initiatives providing individual in-person and telephone support, educational and/or therapeutic groups, and short- and long-term shelters and housing. The interviews provided insights about the history and rationale for these initiatives, strengths, positive outcomes, challenges, and future program development. Our study results can inform the creation of appropriate services to meet the needs of older women who experience IPV.

Nursing Homes Without Walls for Aging in Place.

ABSTRACTGiven the urgency of finding cost-effective and innovative solutions to providing community services for aging in place, novel solutions that take advantage of existing infrastructure are clearly needed. In this sequential mixed-method study, we chose to explore the role that nursing homes could play in offering services to a non-traditional target population, namely seniors with loss of independence living in the community. Forty-two (n = 42) nursing homes in the province of New Brunswick completed an online survey, and 10 agreed to participate in face-to-face interviews. Results show that 100 per cent of participants agreed that nursing homes could offer services to seniors in their communities for aging in place. Results suggest that nursing homes are cost-effective, innovative solutions for aging in place.

Exploring gender and elder abuse from the perspective of professionals.

We conducted an online survey of professionals working in two Canadian provinces to learn about their knowledge of elder abuse from a gender-based perspective. A total of 169 professionals (90% women) completed a survey in either French or English. Five topic areas emerged from the analysis: the influence of gender on the risk of abuse; types of abuse detected; knowledge gaps; capacity to respond to gender-based abuse; and awareness of resources. To gain further insight into these results, we conducted three focus groups with a total of 24 professionals. Professionals held relatively little recognition of, or knowledge about, gender related to elder abuse. Our results indicate the need to develop educational and awareness raising opportunities for professionals who work with abused older adults in both French and English to identify and respond to the unique needs of older women and men.

Hoping for the Best or Planning for the Future: Decision Making and Future Care Needs.

Research has shown that relatively few older adults make plans for future care needs. In this study, we explore the thinking processes involved in planning or failing to plan for the future. Interviews were carried out with 39 older adults ( M age = 81 years) who were experiencing disability and illness but who lived in their own home. Guiding questions for the interview focused on present living circumstances, but for the present qualitative analysis, all references to the future, and to future residence changes, were extracted. This approach allowed us to observe how older adults spontaneously address issues of future planning when not constrained to do so. Results supported the use of a positivity bias, as well as a risk-aversive decision-making style. These older adults seemed to be prioritizing present emotional well-being by avoiding thoughts of future risks and thereby eschewing proactive coping.

Université du troisième âge : les besoins en formation continue des personnes âgées francophones au Nouveau-Brunswick.

Continuing education is the ideal mechanism to allow retired people to maintain their autonomy and health for as long as possible. Despite the importance of education in the development of human beings, very few studies have been identified on the need for continued education in older adults. This quantitative descriptive study allowed us to better understand the interests and the needs of seniors related to continuing education in French-speaking older adults in New Brunswick (n = 408), and to identify the perceptions of participants with regard to the benefits, the challenges and the preferences of seniors for continuing education. Study results indicate that the main interests of participants were for training in technology (computers), gardening and health matters. Given the lack of research in this domain, these results will be useful for future planning of continuing education initiatives for seniors.

[The influence of minority sociolinguistic context on home support for seniors in a rural devitalized area: the case of Acadieville New Brunswick]. / L'influence du contexte sociolinguistique minoritaire sur le maintien à domicile des aînés en milieu rural dévitalisé: le cas d'Acadieville au Nouveau-Brunswick.

New Brunswick is one of the provinces most affected by the aging of the population. Moreover, aging at home in Francophone minority communities is a major challenge in rural areas. The goal of this paper is to identify the main advantages and disadvantages of aging at home and to expose organizational strategies deployed by seniors and their families in order to promote aging in place. The case study is the method of analysis that we have recommended. Our methodology is based on content analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews with seniors and their children. The results show that family and community support, resourcefulness and resiliency, the practice of leisure activities as well as the living environment are among the principal means used by older adults to promote aging at home.

Strategies for Aging in Place: The Experience of Language-Minority Seniors With Loss of Independence.

For healthy and independent older adults, aging in place can be seen as identical to any other adult living at home. Little is known about how frail seniors, particularly those who speak a minority language, manage the challenges of aging in place. The present qualitative descriptive study explores the strategies that Canadian French-speaking seniors have put in place to counter their loss of independence and promote their ability to stay in their home. Semistructured individual interviews were conducted with 39 older adults and transcribed, followed by content analysis to identify common themes related to study objectives. Six themes emerged in response to strategies described for aging in place. Findings reveal the limited extent to which language issues were perceived as a barrier by participants. In conclusion, the results of this study provide us with fruitful insights to guide community nursing practice, future research, and public policy.

Canadian Nursing Students and the Care of Older Patients: How Is Geriatric Nursing Perceived?

The aim of this research was to contribute to an understanding about the professionalization of gerontological nursing. The specific objective was to explore attitudes about older people among undergraduate nursing students. Three focus groups were carried out with 3rd-year nursing students in a generalist program in a small Canadian city and discussions focused on experiences and attitudes surrounding the care of older patients. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyze the verbatim transcripts. Results indicated that students had positive reactions to caring for older patients, at least when dementia is not present, but they received a strong message from their mentors that this type of nursing is neither prestigious nor valued. Discussions surrounding the care of older adults highlighted students' perceptions of conflicts between the art and science of nursing, and their concerns regarding the divisions of tasks between nursing students, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses.

[Healthy ageing in a linguistic minority situation in Canada: issues, challenges and collective mobilization]. / Vieillir en sante en situation minoritaire linguistique au Canada: enjeux, defis et mobilisation collective.

In Canada, the health of both French and English speakers living in linguistic minority situations is a subject of interest to several researchers and community organizations. This article draws upon a symposium on the theme of healthy ageing in a linguistic minority situation, presented at the 4th International Colloquium for Local and Regional Health Programmes. Three aspects are presented: the identification of factors associated with perceived health, home care and malnutrition screening. The results describe: (a) The determinants of perceived health, such as health care services, the vitality of the minority community and education; (b) The lack of changes to home care services, despite the ageing of the population; and (c) The high prevalence of malnutrition among the elderly in New Brunswick, Canada. Finally, we make suggestions regarding the design and implementation of a national policy on ageing in Canada, in order to ensure high-quality services along the entire health continuum.

[The perception of seniors Francophones in a minority situation coping with the challenges and issues related to the maintenance at home in urban areas New Brunswickers]. / La perception des aînés francophones en situation minoritaire face aux défis et aux enjeux liés au maintien à domicile en milieu urbain néo-brunswickois.

OBJECTIVE: Explore the needs and the degree of satisfaction of Francophone seniors living in a minority socio-linguistic urban community in regards to aging-in-place. METHOD: An ethnographic case study was conducted in an urban community in the province of New Brunswick between October 2010 and June 2011. Individual interviews were completed with leaders of different community organizations (n=9) and focus groups were held with socio-linguistic minority French-speaking older adults (n=19). RESULTS: Francophone seniors explained their willingness to age-in-place; however, the lack of services and support in the community makes aging-in-place difficult. Despite this identified absence of services, leaders of various community organizations have no plans to review current services in order to facilitate better quality of life for seniors. CONCLUSION: Aging-in-place for French-speaking seniors living in socio-linguistic minority communities requires concerted efforts from family members, the community and the government. The Ottawa Charter of Health clearly states housing as a prerequisite of health. Housing and social support are important determinants of health. Therefore, the development and implementation of a public policy with regard to seniors, and particularly those in a socio-linguistic minority, seems fundamental in the context of population aging.

Career preferences of nursing students.

This study investigates novice and experienced student nurses' attitudes about caring for patients across the lifespan. Students were also asked why they would enjoy or not enjoy caring for children and older adults. Both novice (n = 114) and advanced (n = 56) nursing students were relatively positive about caring for patients across the lifespan. However, novices were significantly more negative about working with older patients, particularly after experiencing a first clinical placement. In contrast, a significant quadratic effect was found for advanced students, indicating more negativity about working with both children and older adults. When giving reasons for why they would enjoy caring for older patients, novices were more likely than were advanced students to focus on stereotypical characteristics and on negative health outcomes of older adults as a group. Overall, results suggest that the attitudes driving career interests in nursing students change as training advances.

The significance of social engagement in relocated older adults.

Social networks and social support are recognized as important determinants of health. Relocation is a common transition in older adults' lives that can disrupt existing social networks and challenge seniors to reconstitute these networks. Social engagement is a required component of the process of reconstituting social relationships and of feeling connected. The purpose of this focused ethnographic study was to develop an understanding of the experience of social engagement in relocated residents of a senior-designated apartment building. Data generation included interviews with 19 older adults. Transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Seniors developed four types of relationships for provision of feelings of security, casual interactions, opportunity to be supportive, and friendship. The findings of this research provide a better understanding of the relationships seniors developed in a new community as a result of the process of social engagement.

Building a new nest: the experience of women relocating to a seniors-designated apartment building.

Although relocation has been a subject of research for the last 30 years, few studies have described the experience of relocating to congregated housing for the elderly. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to describe women's experiences of relocating to an apartment building for seniors and the factors that influence relocation. The 11 women interviewed identified the central issue in relocation as re-establishing the self: the physical and psychosocial changes entailed in constructing a supportive and aesthetically pleasing living space while maintaining a sense of well-being. The basic social process that emerged was building a new nest, a non-linear process comprising 3 phases. The findings offer new insights into an aspect of relocation that is rarely explored in nursing research.

Family caregivers and transition to long-term care.

This study's purpose was to explore family caregivers' experiences while they waited placement of family members with dementia in long-term care and how they coped during this period of waiting and transition. In this exploratory descriptive qualitative study, interviews were conducted with 29 caregivers at entry to the placement wait-list and at 3 to 4-month intervals thereafter. Final interviews, with 15 caregivers, were conducted shortly after admission to long-term care. When "the waiting begins," the themes of crisis as initiator, synchronicity, control, and reciprocity emerged. "After placement" included the themes of deeply bonded relationships, attempting continuity, and sorting out the change. The findings provide new insight into family caregiver experiences during and after placement of a family member with dementia in long-term care. Clinicians must recognize that wherever services are provided, at home before placement or in institutions after placement, family caregivers must be incorporated as full partners in care.