Influenza is one of Canada’s top 10 infectious diseases and has a catastrophic impact on society's most vulnerable
Did you get your flu shot this year? Many Canadians did not, even though safe and effective flu vaccines have been available for more than 60 years. And while the consequences of not having a flu vaccine are inconvenient for some – a few days of feeling unwell – they can be devastating for others.…
People who have conversations about their end-of-life preferences are much more likely to be satisfied with the care received
The new year is a good time to put making end-of-life wishes at the top of your to-do list. It's a perfect time to tell family and friends your health-care preferences in case one day you're unable to speak for yourself. This advance care planning is good for your peace of mind and for your loved ones,…Astronauts and seniors with frailty have much in common and innovative research may help solve problems for both
For decades, researchers have studied the effects of reduced physical activity on astronauts during prolonged journeys to space. But what's surprising is one of the uses of that research. It turns out that understanding the effects of space travel on the body may be important to understanding what happens to us on Earth as we…
You can have too much of a good thing when it comes to medicine for older adults
Prevailing wisdom states that more is better – and it’s no different when it comes to our expectation of medical treatments. With the help of the Internet, patients and their families have come to expect intensive tests, treatments and therapies at every life stage. But sometimes, too much treatment can do more harm than good.…
A national seniors strategy needs to account for complexity in the aging process, including risk and vulnerability
By Russell Williams and John Muscedere Canadian Frailty Network Canadians 65 years and older now outnumber children 14 years and under, which means our needs as a society are changing. We’re succeeding in shifting the aging curve through preventive interventions and better public health – that’s good news. But the changing demographic is causing strains…
We need to plan better to protect vulnerable seniors from the impact of climate change
By John Muscedere and George Heckman Canadian Frailty Network An elderly man in Ottawa spent most of last winter snowed in, unable to leave his home, surviving on canned food. Last summer, 54 people died as a result of a heat wave in Quebec, many of them older adults. Seniors’ communities were quickly evacuated during…
New Frontiers in Research Fund supported valuable, long-term work. The program replacing it leaves huge gaps
The federal government has announced the end of funding for its Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program. This is not good news for Canadians. The program has long been touted as the jewel of the federal government’s sciences research support – and programs around the world have been modelled after it. What makes it…
Older Canadians say their top priorities are better co-ordinated care systems and more community and home-based supports
By Katherine McGilton University of Toronto and John Muscedere Canadian Frailty Network More than one million Canadians are medically frail – approximately 25 per cent of those are over age 65 and 50 per cent past age 85. The aging of Canadian society and the growing number of older adults living with frailty poses unprecedented societal…
It’s time we improved the quality and quantity of care for frail Canadians – and improved the health system for everyone in the process
By John Muscedere Canadian Frailty Network and Fred Horne University of Alberta Canada's health system too often fails to deliver the complex care that frail patients need between urgent health events. When a frail older patient has an acute health crisis in Canada, the system usually delivers excellent service. But health – like quality care –…
New Health Accord should reject per capita funding model – and consider the precise and evidence-based concept of frailty instead
By John Muscedere Canadian Frailty Network and Samir Sinha National Institute on Aging Canada's per capita health funding formula fails to address the clear and growing need created by our frail population. When the previous Health Accord expired in 2014, the Conservative government unilaterally established a new funding model for federal health transfer payments to…