Physical activity has been linked to positive health outcomes for frail seniors. However, our understanding of factors that influence the physical activity of residents in the long-term care (LTC) setting is limited. This article describes our work with focus groups, one component of a multi-component study that examined factors influencing the…

While American literature on sustaining restraint reduction is relatively robust, there is a lack of research published on the same issue in Canadian continuing care (CC) settings. Statistics from Canada's largest publicly funded and operated CC organization have revealed telling patterns in mechanical restraint use. Over a 4-year study period…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore styles of engagement used by families with staff in long-term care facilities. Data were gathered through personal interviews with 35 family members. Five styles of engagement were identified: positive, negative, peremptory, cautious, and limited. Factors associated with these different styles…

Most literature on staff-family relationships has come from studies of long-term care settings, has focused mainly on the families' perspectives on factors affecting their relationships with staff, and has included scant findings from the staff's perspective. No studies that examined staff-family relationships in complex continuing care (CCC)…

While the benefits of participating in care or medical decision making are widely reported, research on decision-making participation preferences usually reveals some portion of individuals who do not want to be involved. Data collected through structured, in-person interviews with 100 residents of six long-term care (LTC) facilities in Victoria,…

We provide descriptive statistics for data collected via the Residential Care Facilities Survey (RCFS), from long-term care (LTC) facilities operating in Ontario between 1996 and 2002. The LTC sector in Ontario is dominated by large, proprietary for-profit facilities. The proportion of residents receiving extended care has increased from 53 per…

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a new, integrated service delivery (ISD) network of health and social services for frail elderly living in a semi-urban community. A quasi-experimental study was conducted from 1997 to 2000, with measures taken before implementation (T0) and every 12 months after implementation for a 3-year…

Private, unregulated residential care facilities have become an increasingly important component of the continuum of housing and care for frail older adults in Canada. To date, this growing segment of the older population has received very little research attention. This study involved an in-depth examination of the functional/health profile,…

This work seeks to identify factors that facilitate or diminish care-providers' propensity to improve continence care in long-term care (LTC) settings. We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study using focus group methodology in four long-term care institutions in Montreal, QC. Forty-two nurses, nursing assistants, and orderlies caring for…