Other Risk Areas

Risk areas discussed below are:

• Elder Abuse
• Injury Prevention
• Seniors Caring for Seniors

Elder Abuse

Abuse affects between 4 and 10% of older adults in Canada. Only one in five incidents of elder abuse comes to the attention of those who can help. Is this only the tip of the iceberg? Most likely, especially given the compounding challenge of a rapidly growing aging population.

The Division of Aging and Seniors is responsible for the public health component of the Federal Elder Abuse Initiative (External link) launched by the Government of Canada in June 2008. Other key partners in the Initiative are Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (External link), the Department of Justice (External link), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The Division's focus in the Initiative is:

• to initiate collaborations with experts and key stakeholders in the field such as the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly (External link); the Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (External link); the BC Association of Community Response Networks (External link); and other federal partners such as the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence; and Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care Program.
• to compile and assess the most promising public health interventions, including culturally appropriate strategies for health care practitioners in First Nations and Inuit communities, so that Canada's public health system may address the abuse of older adults more effectively;
• to examine the issue of elder abuse from a gender perspective, so that public health interventions may more appropriately screen, detect and respond to older women and men whose experience of, and vulnerability to, abuse may significantly differ;
• to develop and provide public health practitioners with up-to-date tools, so they are better equipped in elder abuse prevention and intervention; and
• to develop and disseminate key prevention information to target audiences, including education for youth to help foster positive intergenerational relationships and minimize ageist attitudes that are often at the root of elder abuse.

Injury Prevention

Injuries have enormous consequences for seniors and their caregivers, and they are costly to the Canadian health system. Falls are the leading cause of injury among seniors, while vehicular collisions are the leading cause of accidental deaths in the 65-74 age group. Falls and vehicular collisions together account for approximately 91% of injury-related hospital admissions among seniors. In 2004-2005, seniors accounted for 41% of all injury-related hospitalizations in Canada As the seniors’ population (age 65 and over) continues to rise in the future, the burden of injuries is expected to increase.

To help prevent seniors’ injury, the Division of Aging and Seniors has undertaken many initiatives in public education, community-based programming, and policy development. The Division continues to work collaboratively with stakeholders to increase the capacity of the Canadian health care system and community practitioners to plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based injury prevention programs. For example, funding support was provided for the development of the Canadian Falls Prevention Curriculum (External link). A first in Canada, the Curriculum teaches health care providers and community leaders to design, implement and evaluate fall prevention programs for older persons. Another example concerns injury prevention for older drivers, an emerging public health issue. The Division has been a key contributor in the development of the National Blueprint for Injury Prevention in Older Drivers (External link). Also a first of its kind, the Blueprint brings together a multi-disciplinary approach to exploring the health conditions that may affect the capacity to drive safely.

What Information Is Available?

For more information on falls and senior drivers, see our many publications on the topic:

• Publications for the General Public—Injury Prevention
• Publications for Professionals—Injury Prevention

Seniors Caring for Seniors

Family and friends provide about 80 to 90% of care to ill or disabled persons in the community. Caring for others can be rewarding, but long-term or intense caregiving can negatively impact a person's health and well-being. The numbers of seniors caring for seniors is projected to increase as the baby boomers enter their later years. Caregiving can have a negative effect on caregivers' health behaviours, for instance, loss of sleep, lack of physical exercise, neglect of preventive health care and social isolation. The consequences of family caregiving on physical health include back injuries, headaches and hypertension. Stress, burnout and clinical depression are the major mental health impacts reported in studies. Not all caregivers are equally vulnerable: those with the greatest health risks are older, have lower incomes and have health problems of their own.

The Division of Aging and Seniors is enhancing the knowledge, tools and resources available to support and enable caregivers and public health practitioners to identify and address the health risks experienced by senior caregivers. Specifically, the Division works to identify best-practice interventions to promote caregivers' health; develop information materials to raise awareness of the risks by caregivers themselves and health professionals; and develop resources to help health professionals respond to caregivers' health needs.

What Information Is Available?

• To learn more on this emerging public health issue, read Who are the seniors caring for other seniors, a statistical snapshot (External link) prepared by Dr. Janet Fast from the University of Alberta (2009).