Press Coverage

Getting older has its perks. Retirement, grandchildren, community, travel; for seniors, these can be the spoils of a life well lived and also things they've been looking forward to for years. Even though their bodies may be slowing down, many seniors have built lives, and homes, that they maintain and love, and they want nothing more than to remain independent and in their homes as they age.

Aging is a difficult thing to face, let alone plan for, and a recent poll showed that less than half of seniors aged 65-85 have researched ways to live independently at home. Ninety-seven per cent, however, said they are trying to be pro-active about their health. Seniors don't want to give away control of their health or focus on how their health may decline, but by not planning the specifics, they may be missing out on vital resources that could keep them living healthily at home.

Planning ahead involves understanding possible obstacles. Many problems that could cause seniors to lose independence can be avoided. One of the leading causes of death and disability in the elderly is falling. Bone and joint disorders such as arthritis can contribute to falling, and muscle weakness or loss of balance can also add to the problem. "Musculoskeletal disorders and bone and joint disorders are a major part of seniors' natural aging process," says Holly Quinn, chief nursing officer at Bayshore Home Health, Canada's largest provider of home and community health care services. "If we can keep them pain-free and keep them from falling, they can have a high quality of life in their home."

Home care services offer a wide array of in-home help, depending on the needs of individual seniors. Lifestyle support can help lessen strain; in-home visits can lower the risk of depression; assessment of hazards in the home can make recommendations on lighting, how to make stairs safer, or on special equipment that can make daily living easier.

As the population ages, prevention becomes increasingly important. It's one thing to treat illness or accidental injury after the fact, but most agree it's far better to prevent these things from occurring in the first place. But seniors may not always know about the full range of home care and community services available to them that could help them get ahead of potential problems. Each province has different services available, but often they include things like help with homemaking, home security, transportation, home maintenance and repair, caregiver training/education or social networking.

These services can be accessed through government care programs or insurance plans, or sometimes purchased directly.

Some programs, like Bayshore's groundbreaking myNurse program, offer individualized plans incorporating many different services. The myNurse program was launched last year and assigns seniors a personal nurse who helps them plan and access services with the goal of helping them stay healthy and avoid having to move into assisted living or retirement homes. "We're getting a lot of early enthusiasm around the program," says Ms. Quinn. "I think it's because it's something that [seniors] can proactively do to remain healthy and remain in their homes." Depending on the individual senior, the program provides things like risk, pain and falls assessments, referrals, suggestions on rearranging furniture for safety or a muscle-strengthening program. All are based on in-home visits on a schedule tailored to the individual.

Home care should be thought of as a tool to help seniors live the way they want to, despite the limitations they have to face. And even if life is not yet posing challenges, it likely will in the future. Seniors should feel free to use the available resources without feeling overwhelmed or over-managed.

Ms. Quinn explains how home care is a nice balance of independence and assistance: "There's nothing more reassuring than the familiar face of a health professional who understands your personal needs and will visit you in your home [to] take care of you."