Computer-based, cognitive training procedures aim to increase safety by improving skills related to driving, such as speed-of-processing and the Useful Field of View. The current study assessed the effectiveness of DriveSharp in training older drivers in a naturalistic class setting. Participants (n = 24) attended 10 hours of DriveSharp classes over 5 weeks. Pre- and post-testing sessions assessed improvements on a dynamic hazard perception test, Trails A and Trails B. A control group (n = 18) completed only pre- and post-testing sessions. In-class training times were lower than expected. Participants’ improvement in the games leveled off after the first assessment and the DriveSharp group did not demonstrate a significant improvement in performance compared to the control group. Among several usability issues, the most problematic were misunderstanding task goals and the difference between training and evaluation. There are several implications for those using DriveSharp to enhance older drivers’ safety.

Given the urgency of finding cost-effective and innovative solutions to providing community services for aging in place, novel solutions that take advantage of existing infrastructure are clearly needed. In this sequential mixed-method study, we chose to explore the role that nursing homes could play in offering services to a non-traditional target population, namely seniors with loss of independence living in the community. Forty-two (n = 42) nursing homes in the province of New Brunswick completed an online survey, and 10 agreed to participate in face-to-face interviews. Results show that 100 per cent of participants agreed that nursing homes could offer services to seniors in their communities for aging in place. Results suggest that nursing homes are cost-effective, innovative solutions for aging in place.

Deux études ont examiné la relation entre l'environnement physique et ses conséquences sur l'état des résidents de centre d'accueil pour personnes âgées. La première, une étude longitudinale, a établi qu'une vue plus naturelle avec des fenêtres extérieures était associée à des conséquences négatives, alors qu'un emplacement en contact avec les autres donnait des résultats positifs, en ce qui concerne les résidents nouvellement admis. Ces résultats qui entrent en contradiction avec ceux d'une précédente recherche laissent entendre que l'« emplacement social » est important au cours de la première période d'adaptation à la vie en centre d'accueil. Cependant, une étude sur dossiers, portant sur d'anciens résidents du même centre d'accueil, a établi que l'« emplacement social » était associé à des séjours plus courts, juste avant un décès ou un transfert pour des soins hospitaliers. L'« emplacement social » apparaît alors comme un facteur positif au cours de la période initiale d'adaptation, mais comme un élément négatif à plus long terme.

Contractile, histochemical and biochemical properties of the triceps surae were compared in 13 aerobically trained male subjects aged 63 to 76 years. Electrical stimulation of the triceps surae was used to determine muscle twitch, tetanic, and fatigue parameters. From these tests, twitch tension (Pt), time to peak tension (TPT), half relaxation time (RT), tetanic tensions at 10(Po10), 20(Po20), and 50(Po50) Hz and a fatigue index (FI) were calculated. Muscle samples from the belly of the lateral head of the gastrocnemius were obtained using the needle biopsy technique. A portion of each sample was tested histochemically for myosin ATPase (pH 4.30, 4.58 and 10.00) and NADH-tetrazolium reductase in order to classify fibre types (ST, FTa, FTb) and to determine fibre areas. The remainder of each sample was analysed for succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) and phosphofructokinase (PFK) enzyme activities. Significant correlations were found between fibre areas (both ST and FT) and Po10/Po50 and FI. No significant relationships were noted between Pt, 1/2RT and MVC and any histochemical parameter. SDH and PFK activities did not correlate significantly with any histochemical or physiological parameter. Regular endurance exercise apparently does not retard the decline in contractile properties seen with the aging process. Substrate related regulatory enzyme activities (PFK) and marker enzyme activities (SDH) from skeletal muscle of the elderly are much lower than activities found in younger subjects, despite regular aerobic exercise.

Drawing from life course theory, this article examines gender differences in formal assistance among functionally dependent Dutch older persons within five distinct marital history groups – first-married, never-married, divorced (not remarried), widowed (not remarried) and the remarried. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses are performed for each of the marital history groups to test hypotheses regarding the interrelationships among gender and three sets of variables: 1) measures of age and functional health; 2) measures of socio-economic status; and 3) measures of the social network. The results indicate gendered patterns of formal help use among the first-married, never-married and widowed. Consistent with other studies, older first-married women are approximately three times more likely to receive formal help than are men, a difference that remains robust after statistically controlling for other factors, including frailty of spouse. However, we also find that never-married women are about one-third as likely to use formal help than are never-married men, which may be reflective of different preferences regarding formal service use. Among the widowed, we find that men with poorer functional health are more likely to receive formal help than are their female counterparts, suggesting contrasting patterns of help-seeking behaviour and social vulnerability. Additional differences are observed among the marital history groups in terms of the other independent variables, which are also interpreted from a life course perspective.

This paper reviews the literature on the relation of coping and control processes to health outcomes in late adulthood and presents new data on relations between coping and control processes and health for 295 World War II veterans. The results for the veterans showed that health was positively associated with cognitive coping, and negatively associated with behavioural coping and avoidance. No association was found between perceived locus of control and health. These findings, together with those in the literature, were discussed in terms of their implications for future research on the role of coping and control in health maintenance and their significance for people working with older persons.

“Theory of Mind” (ToM) is the capacity to deduce other persons’ cognitive and emotional states. Studies investigating affective ToM in healthy older adults and in persons with Alzheimer’s disease have reported contradictory results, although evidence indicates that advanced age (Ruffman, Henry, Livingstone, & Phillips, 2008) and Alzheimer’s disease (Elferink, van Tilborg, & Kessels, 2015) do not affect the ability to identify or infer different emotions to the same extent. To evaluate affective ToM abilities in these populations, we asked 63 individuals (17 with Alzheimer’s disease) to infer the emotional states of characters presented without facial details in emotional situations. We observed similar results in healthy younger and older adults, but poorer performance in persons with Alzheimer’s disease for disgust, sadness, and surprise, but not for anger, fear, and joy. Results suggest that persons with Alzheimer’s disease have difficulties in inferring several emotional states from contextual information without facial cues.

Person-centred care is recognized as best practice in dementia care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a stakeholder engagement practice change initiative aimed at increasing the provision of person-centred mealtimes in a residential care home (RCH). A single-group, time series design was used to assess the impact of the practice change initiative on mealtime environment across four time periods (pre-intervention, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up). Statistically significant improvements were noted in all mealtime environment scales by 6 months, including the physical environment (z = -3.06, p = 0.013), social environment (z = -3.69, p = 0.001), relationship and person-centred scale (z = -3.51, p = 0.003), and overall environment scale (z = -3.60, p = 0.002). This practice change initiative, which focused on enhancing stakeholder engagement, provided a feasible method for increasing the practice of person-centred care during mealtimes in an RCH through the application of supportive leadership, collaborative decision making, and staff engagement.

This repeated measures study examined undergraduate students’ beliefs about aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the cognitive, social, and physical domains. Students rated typical 25-year-olds (young target), typical 75-year-olds (old target), and typical institutionalized persons with AD (AD target) on 46 statements about cognitive, physical, and social abilities. Beliefs about aging were found to be generally negative in the cognitive and physical domains but positive in the social domain, consistent with the age-stereotyping literature. Interestingly, by comparing ratings of old and AD targets, beliefs were found to be generally negative in the cognitive and social domains but positive in the physical domain. AD is perceived to be a disease primarily of the mind, but in comparison to differences expected with aging, physical prowess is enhanced. Documenting beliefs, a first step toward modifying stereotyped behaviour, could have significant effects on the health and well-being of older adults and persons with AD.

Hospitalization is a sentinel event that leads to loss of independence for many seniors. This study of long-stay hospitalizations (more than 30 days) in seniors was undertaken to identify risk factors for not going home, to characterize patients with risk factors who did go home and to describe one year outcomes following home discharge. Using Manitoba's health care databases, the likelihood of death in hospital, discharge to a nursing home, and transfer to another hospital was determined for a set of risk factors in seniors with long-stay hospitalizations in Winnipeg's acute hospitals. Of the 17,984 long-stay hospitalizations during 1993–2000, 45 per cent were discharged home, 20 per cent died, and 30 per cent were discharged to a nursing home or another hospital. Seniors who received home care prior to hospitalization were more likely to be discharged to a nursing home or die in hospital than to go home. Stroke and cognitive impairment increased the likelihood of discharge to a nursing home. Seniors with neoplasms, multiple co-morbidities, and length-of-stay more than 120 days were more likely to die in hospital. Long-stay patients with risk factors who did go home had few co-morbidities. Within one year of home discharge, 20 per cent of seniors died, 5–15 per cent were admitted to a nursing home or long-term care institution, and 26–35 per cent of persons were re-hospitalized from home. A full 37 per cent experienced none of these outcomes. Our findings point to opportunities to improve discharge outcomes and plan support services for seniors.

We provide an in-depth description of the mobility (capacity and enacted function, i.e., physical activity and travel behaviour) of community-dwelling older adults of low socioeconomic status. Participants [n = 161, mean age (range) = 74 (65-96) years] completed interviewer-administered questionnaires and objective measures of mobility. Our findings did not generally indicate that older adults of low socioeconomic status have a reduced capacity to be mobile. Participants presented with positive profiles across physical, psychosocial, and social environment domains that influence the capacity to be mobile. They also made a high proportion of trips by foot, although these did not together serve to meet physical activity guidelines for most. We challenge future researchers to focus on innovative strategies to recruit this difficult-to-access population, to consider the influence of socioeconomic status across the lifespan, and the role of behaviour-driven agency when investigating the association between the person, environment, and older adult mobility.

Financial compensation for family members who provide informal care to elderly kin has frequently been discussed but rarely implemented in Canada. One exception is the Nova Scotia Home Life Support Program, which financially compensates family members for the care of the elderly. This study explores differences among caregivers who receive formal services, specifically, financial compensation or home help services. Financially compensated caregivers tend to be younger females who live in non-urban areas and co-reside with the care receiver. In comparison to caregivers who receive home help services, these paid caregivers report a reduction in financial worry but have greater involvement in the care of the elderly and higher levels of time dependence burden. Before implementing financial compensation policies, research which specifically investigates the effect of these programs on caregivers is needed.

This paper examines three conceptual and methodological problems characteristic of research on patterns of aging in rural versus urban environments. These are: lack of consistency and clarity in definitions of rurality and in the application of those definitions; inconsistency in the way in which rural-urban comparisons are made and representative communities selected; and problems arising from inattention to the issue of duration of residential experience. Our analyses show how these problems also characterize the emerging body of Canadian research on aging in rural environments.

This hermeneutic phenomenological study provided insight into the experiences of family members of residents diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia who were relocated from institutional-based care to a unique assisted-living environment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 family members, and six themes emerged: (a) ongoing communication, (b) relief and contentment, (c) meaningful activities, (d) enhanced environment, (e) improved functioning, and (f) engaged staff. These findings have significant implications for care delivery and future program planning in caring for residents with special needs. Above all, we can conclude that client-centered care results in positive outcomes for residents and family members.

Recent research indicates that today’s retirees are doing very well in terms of their replacement ratios and that Canadian poverty rates among the elderly are low relative to other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Government-sponsored plans have been strengthened either through explicit expansion – for example, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) – or through the reform of the Canada/Quebec Pension Plans (C/QPP). Also important is the maturation of employer-sponsored pension plans, although coverage rates are down. Future generations of retirees may not achieve the standard of living that exists today, however, which is a concern. The author argues that today’s economic security programs are affordable and that their costs could be stabilized if the retirement age were raised.

This paper presents a French adaptation of the Metamemory in Adulthood (MIA) instrument. The purpose of the study was to assess the psychometric qualities of the French version and to test its validity by replicating age and sex differences in a large sample of French speaking adults. The MIA was administered to 120 males and 185 females, aged between 18 and 95. The initial factor structure of the MIA was replicated and the eight metamemory dimensions were identified, although there was some overlap between the dimensions. The internal consistency of the scales was assessed by computing Cronbach's alpha coefficients; seven of the eight scales were found to be reliable. The intercorrelations between the dimensions were also examined and revealed that each scale is tapping a specific aspect of metamemory. Finally, the analyses of variance confirmed the existence of significant age differences on five scales of the MIA and sex differences on three dimensions.

Although providing direct care to residents with dementia, long-term care (LTC) home staff of registered nurses’, registered practical nurses’, and personal support workers’ involvement in end-of-life decision-making is rarely acknowledged. The purpose of this study was to examine barriers and facilitators to LTC home staff involvement in end-of-life decision-making for people with advanced dementia. We report on the barriers to staff involvement in decision-making. Using an interpretive descriptive design, four major barriers to staff involvement in decision-making were identified: (a) the predominance of a biomedical model of care; (b) a varied understanding of a palliative approach; (c) challenging relationships with families; and (d) a discomfort with discussing death. Findings suggest that the predominant biomedical model in LTC homes, while important, must be imbued with a philosophy that emphasizes relationships among residents with dementia, family and staff.

Data from the 1990 Canadian General Social Survey on Friends and Family were used to examine the relationship between ethnicity and patterns and characteristics of friendship in later life. Ethnicity (i.e. British, French, European – the most prevalent ethnic groups amongst Canadian seniors – and a “Multi-Ethnic” category) is examined in relation to the number of friends reported, satisfaction with friendships, and the geographic proximity to and frequency of contact with the closest identified friend, with attention also given to the factors of age, gender, and marital status. Although results indicate differences for both gender and marital status, ethnicity emerged as the most consistent predictor. Specifically, the French have fewer friends, they live closer to them and are in more frequent contact. The British live further from their friends, who are more numerous. The British and the French did not differ from each other in terms of satisfaction with friendship. The European and the Multi-Ethnic groups were similar across the comparisons made. These results are interpreted in the context of social support access and underscore the importance of including ethnicity in studies of aging and social relations.