2:00 PM (ADT)
via Zoom

In this presentation, Dr. Michelle Lafrance will explore two related projects about senior care in New Brunswick.  The first involves an in-depth examination of the accounts of informal caregivers of older adults.  Informal caregivers are family and friends who provide unpaid assistance enabling their loved ones to age at homes. While often invisible in the health care system, informal caregivers provide the vast majority of the care work and the health system could not operate without them. Informal caregivers, however, often face tremendous challenges in occupying this important role, including reduced physical and mental health, and increased pressures on personal finances. The goal of this research is to better understand the needs and challenges faced by informal caregivers of older adults in New Brunswick. Forty-four participants (29 English; 15 French) from across the province were interviewed about their experiences of providing care. A central challenge they described revolved around their struggles to navigate the health care system to secure appropriate supports for their loved one.  Details of the challenges they faced will be outlined and discussed in relation to required policy changes at national and provincial levels. 

In the second part of the presentation, Dr. Lafrance will report on an ongoing project to establish an Information Hub to assist older adults and their caregivers to navigate Health and Home Care systems in New Brunswick. By streamlining and coordinating information, and enhancing the quality of existing provincial services, the project aims to help individuals connect to appropriate services and ease the burden of system navigation.

Free. Everyone welcome.

Please register by emailing 3rdage@stu.ca or calling 452-0526.