Grant: Summer Program in Aging

Older adults mobility is influenced by many factors including their cultural backgrounds and beliefs. In Canada, data shows that the older adults population is made up of people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, with about 15 out of 100 older people coming from racialized background. This number is expected to increase to above 26 out of every 100 older people. This data shows that it is important to look at older adults mobility needs from an ethnic and cultural perspectives. This situation can be achieved by considering the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion when assessing, treating and preventing mobility challenges of Canadian older adults. Physiotherapist are known as one of the most important healthcare professionals that attend to the mobility needs of older adults. However, the current situation shows that there is scarcity of studies that have looked at how Canadian healthcare professional, particularly physiotherapists consider culture when assessing and rehabilitating older adults with mobility needs. Therefore, my study aims to understand how Canadian physiotherapists consider culture when assessing and treating older people with mobility needs, focusing on how they bring in the diversity, equity and inclusion principles in their assessment and treatment plans. This study will involve interviewing about 20 Canadian-based Physiotherapists, both individually and as a group using interview guide containing open-ended questions. The interviews will be conducted through an online platform like Zoom. The interviews will be recorded and transcribed. The transcribed interview will be analyzed using a qualitative data analysis software such as Nvivo to generate the main ideas that answer the research question. My study is important as it will help to prepare Canadian healthcare professionals, especially Physiotherapists to manage the mobility needs of the increasing population of older adults of different ethnicities and cultures.