Healthy Aging CORE Research Spotlight: January 2024

Research Spotlight

The Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors Forum is an intergovernmental body established to share information, discuss new and emerging issues related to seniors, and work collaboratively on key projects. On their website you can find reports, toolkits, and other resources. Topics include social isolation, ageism, aging in place, caregiving, older workers, and more. Recently, they published a “What We Heard Report” on a national consultation on ageism in Canada.

New Research Reports on CORE

• Connecting generations: planning and implementing interventions for intergenerational contact (World Health Organization)
• Campaigning to tackle ageism: current practices and suggestions for moving forward (World Health Organization)
• A fine line: Finding the right seniors’ poverty measure in Canada (Paloma Griffin & Mohy-Dean Tabbara)

New Journal Articles

Articles that are free and accessible to the general public.

Kim, B., Wister, A., O'dea, E., Mitchell, B. A., Li, L., & Kadowaki, L. (2023). Roles and experiences of informal caregivers of older adults in community and healthcare system navigation: a scoping review. BMJ Open, 13(12), e077641–e077641. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-077641

In this scoping review the authors review research findings from 24 studies on the roles and experiences of informal caregivers navigating community and healthcare systems. Key system navigation challenges identified included the lack of consistency in fragmented systems, difficulties accessing services, and managing multimorbidity. Facilitators of navigation identified included the presence of interface or coordination roles in community and healthcare systems, strong relationships with providers, and person-centred approaches.

Wood, J., Stolee, P., & Tong, C. (2023). Understanding the Patient Experience of Foreign-Born Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Older Immigrants Receiving Health Care in Canada. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 42(4), 657–667. doi:10.1017/S0714980823000235

In this scoping review the authors review 12 articles on the health care experiences of foreign-born older adults in Canada. Barriers to care were a key theme in the articles, with identified barriers including communication difficulties, lack of cultural integration, systematic barriers in health care, finances, and intersecting barriers related to culture and gender.

Articles that require a paid subscription. If you are a student or alumni of a college or university you may be able to access these through your institution’s library.

Bétrisey, C., Carrier, A., Cardinal, J. F., Lagacé, M., Cohen, A., Beaulieu, M., Baillargeon, D., & Levasseur, M. (2023). Which interventions with youths counter ageism toward older adults? Results from a realist review. Gerontology & geriatrics education, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2023.2210521

In this realist review the authors reviewed 24 studies in order to explore what interventions to counter ageism in youth are the most effective and under what circumstances. The four key facilitators of successful programs that were identified in the review were: 1) providing nuanced information to enhance knowledge about aging and older persons, 2) improving the quality of intergenerational contacts, 3) increasing opportunities to apply previously acquired knowledge in intergenerational interactions, and 4) promoting reflective thinking about experiences with older adults.

Calls for Abstracts for Upcoming Conferences

Gerontological Society of America

Mark your calendars for the upcoming GSA 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting (Nov.13-16), where you can actively participate and shape the future of gerontology. The theme for GSA 2024 in Seattle is the Fortitude Factor. The online Abstract Submission Site open from Feb.1 – Mar.14, 2024.