Alberta Innovates- Health Solutions

(Calgary, AB) Monday July 25, 2005... Provinces and health regions in Canada are struggling with issues surrounding living and care arrangements for seniors. Some older adults require the type of care provided only in nursing homes; however, many seniors who were in the past cared for in nursing homes are now residing in supportive or assisted living facilities. Yet, little is known about the health needs or outcomes of residents in these new care settings. Dr. Colleen Maxwell and Dr. Laurel Strain have been studying seniors' care and health issues for a number of years; and, in a new research project they will be examining the effect of recent reforms on the health and quality of care for older Canadians.

Heritage researcher Dr. Maxwell, along with Dr. Laurel Strain and a team of researchers at the Universities of Calgary, Alberta, and Lethbridge, have been awarded nearly $1 million over the next three years. The goal of their research will be to assess and improve the quality of care for thousands of seniors throughout the Province. This research receives its funding from a unique initiative called Programs in Health Services Research, administered by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) on behalf of Alberta Health and Wellness.

What:		Media opportunity to interview Dr. Colleen Maxwell and Dr. Laurel Strain
When:		Tuesday July 26, 2005
Time:		10:00 AM to 12:00 noon *
Where:		Heritage Medical Research Building - Room G384 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, University of Calgary

* Please call Dwayne Brunner, AHFMR Communications Coordinator, at (780) 966-1518 in order to arrange an interview.

• Dr. Maxwell is an Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) Population Health Investigator and Associate Professor in the Departments of Community Health Sciences & Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary.

• Dr. Laurel Strain is the Director of the Alberta Centre on Aging and Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.

• This is the first large-scale Canadian study to examine care and quality issues among assisted living residents.

• Ensuring that older persons have equitable access to quality health and social services, while avoiding inappropriate utilization and excessive costs, are increasingly important public health goals. As has occurred in the U.S., assisted living is becoming an increasingly important residential care setting for older Canadians. This trend away from institutional or nursing home care to care provided in the community has been motivated by cost pressures and a desire to accommodate seniors' preferences to receive care in a home-like setting. However, very little information exists on the health needs, outcomes and quality of care of residents in assisted living facilities. .The overall aim of Drs. Maxwell and Strain's research program is to examine the impact of this trend in continuing care reforms on residents' quality of care and health outcomes across care settings in Alberta.

• Drs. Maxwell & Strain's research is funded by Programs in Health Services Research. This program is administered by AHFMR on behalf of Alberta Health and Wellness. There are multiple Co-Investigators and decision makers collaborating with Drs. Maxwell and Strain, located regionally, provincially, and internationally. The core research team includes: Drs. David Hogan, Michael Eliasziw and Jean Parboosingh-University of Calgary; Dr. Gary Teare-Health Quality Council of Saskatchewan; Dr. Brad Hagen-University of Lethbridge; and Dr. David Zimmerman-University of Wisconsin.

• The Programs in Health Services Research builds on the activities of the existing Health Research Fund and the State of the Science Reviews programs. The Programs in Health Services Research are intended to fund research in priority areas of: Continuum of Care and Delivery Models; Governance and Accountability; Financing and Public Expectations; or Information Technology and Information Management for the Improvement of Health.

• The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR) currently provides funding for over 600 researchers and researchers in training at the Province's three main universities. The foundation supports a community of researchers who generate knowledge that improves the health and quality of life of Albertans and people throughout the world. AHFMR's commitment is to fund health research based on international standards of excellence and carried out by new and established investigators and researchers in training. Total AHFMR funding over 25 years is in excess of $800 million. For more information, visit www.ahfmr.ab.ca