Publications by authors named "Sims-Gould J"

Background: Investment in scale-up and sustainment of effective health-promoting programs is often hampered by competing demands on scarce health dollars. Thus, optimizing programs to reduce resource use (e.g.

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The Single Site Order (SSO)-a policy restricting staff from working at multiple long-term care (LTC) homes-was mandated by the Public Health Agency of Canada to control the spread of COVID-19 in LTC homes, where nearly 70% of COVID-19-related deaths in Canada occurred. This mixed methods study assesses the impact of the SSO on LTC residents in British Columbia. Interviews were conducted (residents (n = 6), family members (n = 9), staff (n = 18), and leadership (n = 10) from long-term care homes (n = 4)) and analyzed using thematic analysis.

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Evidence is sparse on how community-based health-promoting programs can be culturally adapted for racially minoritized, immigrant older adult populations. Choose to Move (CTM) is an evidence-based health-promoting program that enhances physical activity and mobility and diminished social isolation and loneliness in older adults in British Columbia, Canada. However, racially minoritized older adults were not reached in initial offerings.

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Background: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults were felt throughout the health care system, from intensive care units through to long-term care homes. Although much attention has been paid to hospitals and long-term care homes throughout the pandemic, less attention has been paid to the impact on primary care clinics, which had to rapidly change their approach to deliver timely and effective care to older adult patients. This study examines how primary care clinics, in three Canadian provinces, cared for their older adult patients during the pandemic, while also navigating the rapidly changing health policy landscape.

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South Asians are the largest and fastest-growing racialized group in Canada, yet there are limited data on various aspects of health and well-being within this population. This includes the South Asian older adults' ethnoculturally informed perceptions of ageing. The study aimed to understand how social and cultural forces impact the meaning assigned to healthy ageing amongst older South Asians in Canada.

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Introduction: Patient and caregiver engagement is critical, and often compromised, at points of transition between care settings, which are more common, and more challenging, for patients with complex medical problems. The consequences of poor care transitions are well-documented, both for patients and caregivers, and for the healthcare system. With an ageing population, there is greater need to focus on care transition experiences of older adults, who are often more medically complex, and more likely to require care from multiple providers across settings.

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We aim to describe older mens' experiences with physical activity (PA) and their preferences for PA programs. We interviewed 14 men from a Canada-based PA intervention study called Men on the Move, and 5 men from a supplementary sample (who were not intervention participants). Content analysis was used to describe their experiences with PA and program preferences.

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Background: The long-term care (LTC) sector has been at the epicentre of COVID-19 in Canada. This study aimed to understand the impact that the Single Site Order (SSO) had on staff and leadership in four LTC homes in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada.

Methods: A mixed method study was conducted by analyzing administrative staffing data.

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Introduction: To help recognize and care for community-dwelling older adults living with frailty, we plan to implement a primary care pathway consisting of frailty screening, shared decision-making to select a preventive intervention, and facilitated referral to community-based services. In this study, we examined the potential factors influencing adoption of this pathway.

Methods: In this qualitative, descriptive study, we conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with patients aged 70 years and older, health professionals (HPs), and managers from four primary care practices in the province of Quebec, representatives of community-based services and geriatric clinics located near the practices.

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Background: Choose to Move (CTM), an effective health-promoting intervention for older adults, was scaled-up across British Columbia, Canada. Adaptations that enable implementation at scale may lead to 'voltage drop'-diminished positive effects of the intervention. For CTM Phase 3 we assessed: i.

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The COVID-19 pandemic rattled Canada's long-term care (LTC) sector by exacerbating the ingrained systemic and structural issues, resulting in tragic consequences for the residents, family members and LTC staff. At the core of LTC's challenges is chronic under-staffing, leading to lower quality of care for residents and higher degrees of moral distress among staff. A rejuvenation of the LTC sector to support its workforce is overdue.

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Introduction: Racialised immigrant older adults (RIOAs) in Canada have poorer self-rated health and are more likely to report chronic conditions, while they concurrently experience well-documented challenges in navigating and accessing the healthcare system. There is strong evidence that patient and caregiver engagement in their healthcare leads to improved management of chronic disease and better health outcomes. International research suggests that engagement has the potential to reduce health disparities and improve quality of care.

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Article Synopsis
  • Canada's aging population faces increased risk of chronic conditions and frailty, leading to challenges in daily activities and recovery from illnesses.
  • The Canadian Frailty Network launched the AVOID Frailty campaign to help evaluate and reduce factors that contribute to frailty among older adults.
  • An Enabling Healthy Aging Symposium gathered 36 stakeholders to discuss important community-level challenges and opportunities for implementing the campaign, resulting in actionable recommendations to promote healthy aging.
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Introduction: We extend previous research to illustrate how individual, interpersonal and neighbourhood factors in a high-density urban setting in Vancouver, Canada, shape social connectedness experiences of community-dwelling older adults during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews and collected objective measures of loneliness and social connectedness (surveys).

Results: Three dimensions of the neighbourhood environment influenced social connectedness: (i) interactions with neighbours, (ii) involvement with neighbourhood-based organizations, and (ii) outdoor pedestrian spaces.

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Background: The COVID-19 (COVID) pandemic shifted way of life for all Canadians. 'Stay-at-home' public health directives counter transmission of COVID but may cause, or exacerbate, older adults' physical and social health challenges. To counter unintentional consequences of these directives, we rapidly adapted an effective health promoting intervention for older adults-Choose to Move (CTM)-to be delivered virtually throughout British Columbia (BC).

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Physical activity programs focusing on fall prevention often overlook upper-limb strength, which is important for transferring, balance recovery, and arresting a fall. We developed and evaluated a physical activity program, Mobility-Fit for older adults in Assisted Living (AL) that includes upper-limb strengthening, agility, coordination, and balance exercises. Thirty participants (85 ± 6 years) were recruited from two AL facilities; 15 were assigned to Mobility-Fit (three times/week, 45 min/session for 12 weeks) and 15 maintained usual care.

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Most implementation frameworks note that a central support unit (CSU) is key to successful implementation and scale-up of evidence-based interventions (EBIs). However, few studies investigated core functions of CSUs-such as capacity building-to better understand their essential role in implementing EBIs at scale. Therefore, the aims of our study are to (1) describe the role that a CSU plays to build capacity in delivery partner organisations, to enable implementation and scale-up of a health-promoting intervention (Choose to Move [CTM]) for older adults, and (2) identify elements within capacity-building strategies deemed essential to effectively implement CTM in diverse community contexts.

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Objective: Many economically developed countries have seen a decline in publicly funded community programming. Within this context, community-based seniors' service (CBSS) organizations have been increasingly tasked to deliver programs to support the health and wellbeing of older citizens (e.g.

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Background: Choose to Move is one of few scaled-up health-promoting interventions for older adults. The authors evaluated whether Choose to Move participants maintained their intervention-related gains in physical activity (PA), mobility, and social connectedness 12 months after the intervention ended.

Methods: The authors assessed PA, mobility, loneliness, social isolation, and muscle strength via questionnaire and objective measures in 235 older adults at 0 months (baseline), 6 months (end of intervention), and 18 months (12-months postintervention).

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Background: Older Canadians are high users of health care services, however the health care system is not well-designed to meet the complex needs of many older adults. Older persons often look to their primary care practitioners to assess their needs and coordinate their care. The intervention seeks to improve primary care for older persons living with frailty and will be implemented in six primary care clinics in three Canadian provinces.

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Convergent validity and responsiveness to change of the single-item physical activity measure were assessed in adults aged 60 years and older, at baseline (n = 205) and 6 months (n = 177) of a health promotion program, Choose to Move. Spearman correlations were used to examine associations between physical activity as measured by the single-item measure and the Community Health Activities Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire at baseline and for 6-month change in all participants and for sex and age (60-74 years, and ≥75 years) subgroups. Effect size assessed responsiveness to change in physical activity for both tools.

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Background: Creating neighbourhood places for older adults to be socially and physically active is a global health priority. Safety is integral to older adult mobility. In greenway research, perceived safety is often only partially or superficially explored.

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Introduction: Older Canadians living with frailty are high users of healthcare services; however, the healthcare system is not well designed to meet the complex needs of many older adults. Older persons look to their primary care practitioners to assess their needs and coordinate their care. They may need care from a variety of providers and services, but often this care is not well coordinated.

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Background: Despite the well-known health benefits of physical activity (PA), older adults are the least active citizens. Older adults are also at risk for loneliness. Given that lonely individuals are at risk for accelerated loss of physical functioning and health with age, PA interventions that aim to enhance social connectedness may decrease loneliness and increase long-term PA participation.

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Background: Comprehensive geriatric care (CGC) for older adults during hospitalization for hip fracture can improve mobility, but it is unclear whether CGC delivered after a return to community living improves mobility compared with usual post-discharge care.

Objective: To determine if an outpatient clinic-based CGC regime in the first year after hip fracture improved mobility performance at 12 months.

Methods: A two-arm, 1:1 parallel group, pragmatic, single-blind, single-center, randomized controlled trial at 3 hospitals in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

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