Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, University of Waterloo.
Can J Aging. 2011 Sep;30(3):371-90. doi: 10.1017/S0714980811000304. Epub 2011 Aug 19.
Institutionalization of the Elderly in Canada suggested that efforts to address the underlying causes of age-related declines in health might negate the need for nursing homes. However, the prevalence of chronic disease has increased, and conditions like dementia mean that nursing homes are likely to remain important features of the Canadian health care system. A fundamental problem limiting the ability to understand how nursing homes may change to better meet the needs of an aging population was the lack of person-level clinical information. The introduction of interRAI assessment instruments to most Canadian provinces/territories and the establishment of the national Continuing Care Reporting System represent important steps in our capacity to understand nursing home care in Canada. Evidence from eight provinces and territories shows that the needs of persons in long-term care are highly complex, resource allocations do not always correspond to needs, and quality varies substantially between and within provinces.
加拿大的老年人机构化表明，解决与年龄相关的健康下降的根本原因的努力可能会否定养老院的必要性。然而，慢性疾病的患病率一直在增加，而痴呆症等疾病意味着养老院很可能仍然是加拿大医疗保健系统的重要组成部分。限制我们理解养老院如何改变以更好地满足老龄化人口需求的能力的一个根本问题是缺乏个人层面的临床信息。在大多数加拿大省份/地区引入 interRAI 评估工具和建立国家持续护理报告系统是我们理解加拿大养老院护理的能力的重要步骤。来自八个省份和地区的证据表明，长期护理人员的需求非常复杂，资源分配并不总是与需求相对应，而且质量在各省之间和内部差异很大。
