As Alberta’s baby boomers age, the number of seniors in the province grows rapidly—as do health-care costs. Experts predicted this change but have still been caught somewhat off guard. “What we perhaps did not anticipate is the significant increase in rates of dementia, a diagnosis that frequently lands people in long-term care facilities,” says nursing professor Dr. Carole Estabrooks, PhD.
The demand for continuing care has created additional pressure on the health-care system. AHS is looking to researchers such as Estabrooks to find ways to improve care for seniors and reduce its costs. With funding from AIHS, the University of Alberta professor is working to understand how managers of long-term care facilities (nursing homes) use networks to seek advice.
The research involves people at more than 1,000 facilities across Alberta and Canada and is studying the links they rely on to care for their patients—everything from managing the behaviour of people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease to oral health and nutrition.
The project’s findings will show policymakers and researchers where and how well regions are connected. It will also help identify people or facilities that could be the most helpful in spreading research findings or introducing changes.
“A researcher’s findings alone cannot change the system,” Estabrooks says. “But by partnering with key people in the continuing care system, we can help to move things into action more effectively.” — Caitlin Crawshaw
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