Seniors health

The COVID-19 pandemic led Québec, like many jurisdictions around the world, to recommend public health measures to slow propagation of the disease. Measures include limiting the number of contacts between individuals, physical distancing, physical barriers, handwashing, breathing etiquette, wearing of masks or face coverings, ventilation, and the disinfection and cleaning of surfaces. These measures are considered effective in reducing COVID-19 transmission and case numbers, but have also……

This document is primarily intended for public health authorities and all stakeholders supporting interventions that address seniors. The content (findings and examples of actions) concern seniors who live at home (in a house, apartment, or collective housing including seniors’ residences) and are not necessarily appropriate for individuals living in residential facilities (CHSLDs, intermediary and family-type resources [RI-FTR]) even though some example actions can apply to these living…

Principaux constats :

Population aging is occurring particularly rapidly in Québec. Moreover, cognitive impairments increase with advancing age and become a more significant source of disability as seniors age. Cognitive impairments adversely affect the exercise of such mental functions as memory, judgment, attention, learning capacity and the ability to solve problems, and such impairment can have a significant impact on the ability to remain autonomous and on quality of life. The main types of cognitive…

Elder abuse is increasingly acknowledged to be a health and social problem that must be addressed. Unfortunately, few recent studies provide a measure of the scope of the problem in Canada. The only Canada-wide study reports that 4% of seniors are victims of elder abuse in any given year. However, the actual proportion is probably higher, considering that such abuse is often misunderstood and under-reported.

It is important that the clinical community play a role in combatting this…

This document summarizes the main observations delivered by the experts on the implementation processes involved for RSIPAs, thus constituting a part of the expedited knowledge synthesis we realised on this subject. We grouped the comments under six themes: a general appreciation of the model (even if this aspects extended beyond the object of the synthesis), questions related to the general governing of the system (at the ministerial level), those concerning appropriation at the local level…

Falls among seniors are a major public health problem. We estimate that approximately 30% of people aged 65 or over fall every year, with serious consequences at individual, family and social levels.

A number of effective interventions have been developed to prevent falls among the elderly, and physicians will be asked to include them in their practice. Therefore, it is essential to draw up and disseminate falls prevention practice guidelines that are based on recent scientific data…