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Assisted living

From independent living and aging in place to assisted living, there are several seniors housing options available that cater to a wide range of needs and personal preferences. Assisted living support services include meals, medication management, bathing and dressing for older adults who can live independently but still require some assistance.

Options for long-term care mean more choice for older adults
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Can you relate? Options to improve support for unpaid caregivers
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186 Show All 18Blog Posts 28Evidence Summaries 140Web Resource Ratings 5Patient Decision Aids

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Supportive homes and communities Health care and health service delivery Autonomy and independence Cognitive health and dementia Mobility and transportation Healthy lifestyles and wellness Staying connected Financial wellness and employment
  • Evidence Summary

    Electronic health interventions can increase physical activity levels among older adults

    Rating 5 out of 5 stars
    Preventive Medicine (2017)
  • Evidence Summary

    Advanced practice nursing results in positive outcomes for elderly patients in long-term care settings

    Rating 5 out of 5 stars
    International Journal of Nursing Studies (2015)
  • Evidence Summary

    Older people with mental health issues should be offered strategies with several components to help reduce their risk of falling

    Rating 5 out of 5 stars
    BMC Nursing (2014)
  • Evidence Summary

    The evidence is unclear about whether it is better for older adults to receive long-term care through home and community-based services or in a nursing home

    Rating 5 out of 5 stars
    Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2012)
  • Evidence Summary

    Transitional-care programs can improve the use of healthcare services by older adults living in the community

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports (2018)
  • Evidence Summary

    Older adults may receive better care in nursing homes when staff actively push for quality improvements

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing (2017)
  • Evidence Summary

    Non-pharmacological care-delivery interventions may reduce agitation and aggression in nursing home residents with dementia

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Journal of the American Geriatric Society (2016)
  • Evidence Summary

    Self-care programs for older adults living at home should consider their experiences, attitudes and the meanings they attribute to care

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    International Journal of Nursing Studies (2015)
  • Evidence Summary

    Admission avoidance hospital at home.

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2016)
  • Evidence Summary

    Caregiver stress has only a minimal impact on the institutionalization of elderly people who need care

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    PLOS ONE (2015)
  • Evidence Summary

    Oral health education programs for caregivers of older adults lead to improved oral health outcomes in elderly patients

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    International Journal of Nursing Studies (2015)
  • Evidence Summary

    Specialist nurses are no more effective than conventional services at increasing dementia caregiver satisfaction or reducing their depression

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Health and Social Care in the Community (2015)
  • Evidence Summary

    Home-based multidisciplinary rehabilitation can improve mobility, balance and strength after hip fracture surgery

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Rehabilitation Research and Practice (2013)
  • Evidence Summary

    Older adults with dementia and their caregivers should be engaged in care decisions to improve the adoption of effective falls prevention strategies

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Gerontologist (2013)
  • Evidence Summary

    Strategies that include a combination of education and ongoing support for caregivers can improve care of people with dementia living at home

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Patient Education and Counseling (2014)
  • Evidence Summary

    In people with dementia who live in long-term care, sensory stimulation or a multistep program improves some behaviours

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    J Am Geriatr Soc (2013)
  • Evidence Summary

    Family members who make decisions on behalf of dementia patients need support to ensure decisions reflect the patient’s wishes, preferences and values

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare (2014)
  • Evidence Summary

    Playing music in nursing homes may reduce resistance to care among older adults with dementia

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Journal of Advanced Nursing (2014 Apr 16)
  • Evidence Summary

    Person-centred care for older adults with dementia in residential settings may benefit patients as well as care providers

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias (2014)
  • Evidence Summary

    Consumer-directed care can empower older people and their caregivers by offering them greater flexibility and by increasing their involvement in care-related decisions.

    Rating 4 out of 5 stars
    Health and Social Care in the Community (2013)
  • Evidence Summary

    A variety of housing models can support older adults who wish to age in place

    Rating 3 out of 5 stars
    The Gerontologist (2020)
  • Evidence Summary

    Meaningful activities outside of care homes can improve the wellbeing of people with dementia

    Rating 3 out of 5 stars
    BMJ Open (2020)
  • Evidence Summary

    People with dementia living in the community and their caregivers may benefit most from interventions with multiple components that are tailored to their needs

    Rating 3 out of 5 stars
    BMC Geriatrics (2015)
  • Evidence Summary

    Fall-prevention programs that specifically target at-risk nursing home residents may prove most effective in reducing the prevalence of falls

    Rating 3 out of 5 stars
    Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2015)
  • Evidence Summary

    Homecare services delivered to patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits, improve patient quality of life, and lead to net health system savings

    Rating 3 out of 5 stars
    Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing (2015)
  • Evidence Summary

    Family caregivers can share their experiences and unique knowledge of relatives’ lives to improve care for people with dementia transitioning to a nursing home

    Rating 2 out of 5 stars
    Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences (2013)
  • Blog Post

    Co-Housing for Older Adults: Building Community, Support, and Security While Aging in Place

    What is co-housing? Explore how shared living spaces can offer older adults community, support, and financial savings while balancing privacy and connection.
  • Blog Post

    Overnight care: A reassuring presence

    Finding qualified and trusted staff to care for your loved ones during the day is one thing. But with staff shortages plaguing all employment sectors, finding qualified and trusted staff working night shifts is a big challenge.
  • Blog Post

    Living in a nursing home: What about "young" residents?

    Many people under the age of 65 are living in nursing homes. Who are these young residents and how can we improve their quality of life?
  • Blog Post

    Engaging in meaningful activities outside of care settings: What’s the impact on people with dementia?

    Getting out and about! Preliminary research shows that engaging in meaningful activities outside of aged care facilities may have positive effects on the health and well-being of people living with dementia.
  • Blog Post

    Renewal plans in long-term care: where are we at

    The long-term care sector has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and abroad. Many policymakers and stakeholders are now turning their attention to renewing the long-term care sector and exploring alternatives to long-term care homes.
  • Blog Post

    Barriers to cancer care in nursing homes

    Despite the high prevalence of this disease in the elderly, early diagnosis seems to be neglected in nursing homes. How can we make decisions that seek to balance the potential benefits and harms of cancer treatment in older adults living in nursing homes?
  • Blog Post

    Harnessing the potential of technology to strengthen the long-term care sector (part 1)

    The COVID-19 pandemic has affected those in long-term care homes in Canada more than others. With governments moving to address many of the concerns that have received attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a unique opportunity to examine the potential of technology to strengthen long-term care homes. This blog post is the first in a series which examine evidence and experiences related to the role of technology in long-term care homes in Canada.
  • Blog Post

    Aging in your smart home while preserving your privacy

    More and more smart technologies are making their way into our homes. While smart technologies appear promising to support aging at home, can it maintain our privacy?
  • Blog Post

    Leave my house… but to go where?

    As the level of autonomy and needs evolve, it may become more challenging to meet the care needs of older adults at home. If you think you might have to explore other housing arrangements, but are still active and independent, what are your options?
  • Blog Post

    Dementia caregiving: Take care of yourself while caring for others

    Support for family caregivers of people with dementia cannot be overlooked – it is a necessity. If the stress of caregiving is left unchecked, it can take a toll on a caregiver’s mental, physical and social health. Multicomponent strategies may be a good way to keep a caregiver grounded and healthy.
  • Evidence Summary

    Telecare is a useful support for healthy aging at home, but older adults should have a say in how it is used in their care

    JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports (2017)
  • Blog Post

    Feeling unsteady? Exercise can help prevent falls in long-term care

    Feeling off-balance? Stand up to falls with exercise. Exercise combined with other fall prevention strategies is a promising way to lower the rate of falls in older adults living in long-term care.
  • Blog Post

    The future is here: Socially assistive robots to make your daily life easier

    Socially assistive robots have been developed to deliver care to older adults or to assist caregivers and health professionals. The future is here — are we ready for it?
  • Blog Post

    Still here! Don’t let a dementia diagnosis keep you out of the conversation

    Everyone – including those with dementia – has the right to make decisions that affect their own health. Staying involved and engaged for as long as possible is key to a better quality of life.
  • Blog Post

    Combat loneliness and depression by sharing memories: Relive those glory days!

    One of the pleasures in life is spending time with family and friends. Another is getting together to relive those good times and memorable moments. Research shows that group activities involving reminiscing can help relieve social isolation/loneliness and depression.
  • Blog Post

    Does caregiver stress affect the move to long term care?

    Providing care for family members with challenging chronic diseases like dementia can be highly stressful and take a toll on caregivers’ physical and psychological health. When caregivers become “burnt out” are their loved ones more likely to be placed in long term care facilities?
  • Blog Post

    Can you relate? Options to improve support for unpaid caregivers

    Providing unpaid care offers both rewards and challenges. A panel of caregivers share their thoughts and suggestions about how to better support caregivers.
  • Blog Post

    Ding-dong, it's the doctor calling! Home-based primary care may be a solution for homebound older adults

    Receiving care and treatment in their own homes helps older, frail and homebound adults get the medical attention they need and can improve their health and quality of life.
  • Blog Post

    Options for long-term care mean more choice for older adults

    Home and community based care, assisted living and nursing home care all have related risks and benefits. Decisions about long term care settings should consider the needs and unique circumstances of older adults and the people caring for them.
  • Evidence Summary

    Home-based primary care can reduce hospital and long-term care admissions, and days in care, and improve quality of life and satisfaction with care

    Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2014)
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