Healthy Aging Research
Research
This community-based participatory research study used a social determinants of health framework to understand whether and how social isolation is an issue for unpaid caregivers from ethnocultural communities who care for seniors.
This study focuses on unpaid caregivers, from six ethnocultural communities in Ottawa, who may experience social isolation while caring for a senior.
The Brain Health Program is a culturally responsive community-based adult dementia day program piloted by the Social Planning Council of Ottawa (SPCO) in collaboration with the Indo-Canadian Community Centre (ICCC), the Champlain Community Support Network (CCSN), and with funding initially from the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and beginning in August with additional resources from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
The Brain Health program is a social innovation model built on asset-based community development. The innovation is in the service delivery model, which is a public, non-profit, community partnership approach designed to develop a viable evidence-based model that supports healthy aging in place.
This initiative is intended to reduce isolation and increase community connections for seniors with dementia and their caregivers from four diverse, racialized communities.
South Asian patients with dementia and their family caregiversface unique challenges throughout the journey of care - from early diagnosis to end-of-life care. Lack of knowledge and stigma against mental health issues, a fear of discrimination by the community and health care providers, beliefs against seeking professional help, and an unavailability of culturally inclusive services are all barriers South Asian Canadians face when accessing dementia care services (Holmes, 2018).
In response to these challenges, the Social Planning Council of Ottawa, Champlain Community Support Network, and Indo-Canadian Community Center Seniors Program hosted a forum to explore the development and implementation of an adult day program for dementia patients of South Asian descent.
The objective of this report is to provide an overview of the purpose of the Forum, a summary of the information presented, and insights gained through roundtable discussions with Forum participants. This document demonstrates the growing interest in addressing the needs of ethnocultural1 minority seniors2 in Ottawa and reflects the interests and concerns of seniors, service providers, and other community members shared through the Forum. This report also outlines opportunities for future action and suggestions for next steps to follow up on topics addressed through the Forum
The forum was purposively designed to create dialogue between ethno-cultural seniors and service providers, as a step towards the development and implementation of a culturally 4 appropriate service delivery model that prevents abuse and neglect and promotes the wellbeing of ethnocultural seniors.
The forum was successful in opening up conversation about an issue that is very silenced within ethno-cultural communities. The document presents an overview of the forum and prospective next steps.