Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

By 2031, approximately one third of the Canadian population will belong to a visible minority group and the South Asian (SA) population will comprise the largest visible minority group in Canada and the second largest in British Columbia (BC). Between 2006 and 2031, the proportion of the population belonging to a visible minority group in the 65+ age category will double from 9% to 18%. These shifts in the aging Canadian population prompt important questions as to whether the current organization of residential long-term care (LTC) and end-of-life services are designed to meet the needs of increasingly diverse ethno-cultural older adults. This study will explore: (1) to what extent are existing residential LTC services prepared to provide culturally responsive and competent care to older adults from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds? (2) what are the unique needs and preferences of older adults from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds regarding residential LTC and end-of-life care? (3) what challenges do these older adults and their family caregivers face in accessing these services? The questions will be examined from the perspective of SA older adults and their family caregivers, a focus which is appropriate given their increasing numbers and the fact that despite their growing presence in the population, the volume of research on SAs has not kept pace and the diversity among the population is seldom acknowledged leaving gaps in the understanding of their needs. The intended outcomes of this proposed area of research are to inform the planning and delivery of residential long-term care and end-of-life services for the growing ethno-cultural population of Canada and inform policy decision-making related to these service delivery areas.