Grant: Project Grant

Supporting older adults to remain at homes as their care needs change is a key policy initiative globally and in Canada. Enhancing care in the community is needed to reduce the risk of transitions to facility-based care settings in continuing care (which refers to long-term care, assisted living and designated supportive living facilities) and support individualized and cost-effective health service delivery. Yet, we lack research that thoroughly examines modifiable factors related to home health service use and links these services directly to risk of transition to facility-based care settings. To effectively and intentionally support older adults to safely age in place, we require a better understanding of how home health services influence transitions from home to facility-based care settings in various contexts. Our research goal is to examine which types of home health services reduce the risk of transitions to facility-based care settings in Alberta, Canada. We will use provincial administrative health data in Alberta, Canada (2014-2024) to conduct analyses on which home health service types reduce the risk of transition over time to facility based care settings. Participants will include long-stay home care clients (>65 years) in all health regions of Alberta, Canada. We will conduct interviews with long-stay home care clients (>65 years), their caregivers (i.e., family, friends or neighbours who provide unpaid support) and care managers (who are Registered Nurses or Occupational Therapists) in home care to understand their view on how home health services support (or do not support) client care needs to remain at home. We will feed back our findings to decision makers, older adults and their family, caregivers, and to care managers. This study will be a critical groundwork for interventional research to feasibly address existing gaps in home health services.