Seniors' Health (Alberta, Canada) Top 10

  1. What strategies best allow older adults to remain independent for as long as possible?
  2. In what ways can the healthcare system become more proactive, instead of reactive, in addressing and encouraging prevention of disease/disability?
  3. In what ways can healthcare service accessibility for older adults living in a rural community be improved?
  4. How can geriatric-related knowledge among healthcare providers be improved and applied when caring for older adults?
  5. What are the optimal ways to ensure healthcare providers take into consideration the goals and wishes of the older adult during care/treatment?
  6. What can be done to increase availability of dementia-related care and services for older adults?
  7. What interventions and programs best enable older adults to more easily navigate the healthcare system?
  8. What are the most effective programs and services which can be provided to caregivers to combat burnout and stress when caring for older adults?
  9. What is the most effective strategy to ensure an optimal transition between care settings for older adults?
  10. How can healthcare encounters be restructured to allow older adults sufficient time with providers to discuss complex concerns in one appointment?

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

  1. In what ways can quality of care in continuing care settings best be improved?
  2. What strategies best allow older adults to remain in their own homes for as long as possible?
  3. What is the most effective strategy for information sharing and collaboration between healthcare providers of different disciplines and/or at different facilities in order to ensure continuity of care?
  4. What can be done to increase the availability of services to support older adults to live in their own homes?
  5. In what ways can seniors with dementia be better supported by hospital staff when visiting the emergency department?
  6. What information should healthcare providers provide to and discuss with older adults and their families to best improve end-of-life care?
  7. How can behaviours associated with dementia (e.g., aggression) be most effectively managed through non-pharmacological approaches?
  8. What educational strategies are most effective in improving the knowledge of staff working in continuing care setting?
  9. What are the most effective strategies to allow people to die on their own terms?
  10. What strategies are most effective for improving the environment of continuing care to make it feel more home-like for residents?
  11. What strategies are most effective in preventing and/or delaying the onset of dementia?
  12. What are the optimal ways for caregivers of older adults to have time away from employment in order to provide care?

Document downloads

For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP, please see the document below.