Module 2: Direct Comprehensive Primary Care in the LTC Setting
18 2.2 Comprehensive Primary Care
Caring for Older Adults
Over the next 20 years, Canada’s seniors population, those age 65 and older, is expected to grow by 68%. The subset of seniors age 75 and older, is growing the fastest pace. Studies have shown that 91% of long-term care residents are over age 65, and 74% are over age 80.
Comprehensive primary care in LTC includes:
- Primary prevention
- Immunizations
- Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment
- Chronic disease management
- Goals of Care/End of Life planning[1][2][3][4][5]
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA): A multidisciplinary diagnostic and treatment process that identifies medical, psychosocial, and functional capabilities of an older adult in order to develop a coordinated plan to maximize overall health with aging.
Includes:
Caregiver Burden:
- One in four Canadians is a caregiver; one in two will become one
- Caregivers spend 5.7 billion hours caring for people in their lives (4.2% of GDP) valued at$97.1B annually
- $1.3B is lost in productivity per year. This is equivalent to over half a million employees dropping out of the labour force.
- 26% of those caring for older adults and 45% of those caring for people with dementia note distress
- Studies show this distress does not fully resolve on LTC placement
What to do:
- Canadian Geriatrics Society, 2022; Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation, 2022 ↵
- CGA Toolkit, n.d.-c ↵
- Canadian Institute for Health Information, n.d.-b ↵
- Frank et al., 2018 ↵
- WHO, 2008 ↵
- Canadian Geriatrics Society, 2022 ↵
- CGA Toolkit, n.d.-b ↵
- Frank et al., 2018 ↵
- Ward & Reuben, 2022 ↵
- Alzheimer’s Society, 2023 ↵
- Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, 2022 ↵
- Canadian Patient Safety Institute, 2014 ↵
- Stall, 2019 ↵