Using non-medical home services to support older adults

    Ano de publicação: 2016

    The number of Canadians aged 65 or older is expected to double within the next two decades, and the proportion of those over the age of 80 is expected to grow from 27.5% in 2012 to 32% in 2036.(1; 2) This trend holds true in British Columbia (which is where the request came from for this synthesis) where in 2016, 18% of the population was comprised of older adults (65+), and this is expected to rise to 24% by 2030.(3) To contend with this demographic change and in anticipation of the increased demand for healthrelated services, provinces and territories across Canada have been focused on developing programs and services to support older adults to age at home. Supports that provide help with instrumental activities of daily living that home care does not typically provide can be an important part of home-based care that enable older adults to age well in their homes. For example, the role and impact of personal-care services (grooming, bathing, toileting and dressing) and some community-support services (e.g., housework, meal preparation, shopping, transportation and home visiting to prevent social isolation) as part of home care are not well understood, but some evidence has shown them to increase quality of life for older adults and to optimize the use of available resources.(4) In addition to these benefits, such supports (which we call non-medical home care in this synthesis) have been found to prevent or defer the need for care among older and frail older adults

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