Sophie Éthier

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.

Food Related Challenges and Issues Faced by New Brunswick Seniors Livingin their Own Home

The number of seniors is projected to increase over the next decade and continue to rise in the following decades. The issues and challenges faced by New Brunswick seniors living in their own home were studied recently. Too many seniors are not able to afford healthy food or enough food to maintain their health as they age. Healthy eating is one of the main factors in ensuring healthy aging and should therefore be an important consideration when determining a senior’s capacity to remain in his or her own home. Little is known about how seniors, and particularly frail seniors, manage the challenges of maintaining healthy eating habits in their home. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted among seniors aged 65 and over living in New Brunswick.

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.

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.

e-Health for Healthy Aging: Putting the Evidence into Practice .

Population aging represents a major challenge as the proportion of people aged over 65 years worldwide is expected to reach 2 billion by 2050. This has profound implications for the planning and delivery of health and social care. The knowledge we want to disseminate come from a systematic review on e-health interventions for healthy aging (HA). This project arises from a research collaboration putting together complementary expertise in information and communication technology and aging. The overarching goal of this project is to ensure rapid translation of scientific evidence on effective e-health interventions promoting HA in order to accelerate their implementation for the benefit of older adults and their caregivers. Various knowledge translation strategies will be developed and implemented with knowledge users.

Participation sociale et personnes ayant des atteintes cognitives et centre communautaire de loisir : une équation possible?

ABSTRACT: Validating support of social participation for people with cognitive impairment (CI) plays a predominant role in maintaining identity, autonomy, sense of belonging and social bonding. Yet what restricts this participation—intervention methods, cognitive impairment, or other individuals in the participant’s environment? This study documents stakeholders’, volunteers’ and users’ perceptions of people with CI in community recreation centres (CRC). Six focus groups (n = 44) in Montreal, Quebec City and Drummondville highlighted some issues concerning this subject. Although sympathetic to a society where people with multiple weaknesses coexist, participants are not convinced of the need to include those whose memory and judgment are failing. The integration of people with CI includes relational and organizational challenges and questions our relationship to cognitive aging and performance values in an inclusive environment. RÉSUMÉ: La pérennisation de la participation sociale des personnes avec atteintes cognitives joue un rôle prépondérant dans le maintien de l’identité, de l’autonomie, du sentiment d’appartenance et des liens sociaux. Or, qui des intervenants, des modalités d’intervention, des atteintes cognitives elles-mêmes ou de l’entourage contraignent cette participation ? Cette étude documente la perception des intervenants, bénévoles et usagers quant à la place des personnes avec atteintes cognitives en centre communautaire de loisir. Six groupes de discussion (n = 44) à Montréal, Québec et Drummondville ont permis de dégager certains enjeux autour de cette question. Bien que favorables à une société solidaire où coexistent des personnes ayant des fragilités multiples, les participants ne sont pas convaincus de la nécessité d’inclure celles dont la mémoire et le jugement défaillent. Leur intégration comporte notamment des défis relationnels et organisationnels tout en interrogeant notre rapport au vieillissement cognitif et aux valeurs de performance dans un milieu pourtant inclusif.

La dyade aidant-aidé atteint d'Alzheimer : entre asymétrie et sentiment de réciprocité

Prendre soin d’un proche atteint de la maladie d’Alzheimer est une responsabilite morale qui deborde largement de l’accomplissement de simples tâches quotidiennes de soins. Le present article discute de la transformation du rapport relationnel aidant-aide en tant que fondement de cette responsabilite morale. L’etude doctorale (2012) realisee dans la perspective de la theorisation enracinee (grounded theory) aupres de vingt aidants, principalement des conjoints, conclut que l’asymetrie et la reciprocite de la relation ne sont pas antinomiques. Elles participent plutot conjointement a la construction de la responsabilite morale des aidants d’un proche atteint de demence.