2013 TVN Catalyst Research Program Grant
Improving outcomes for frail seniors: Impact of ASILA long-term care staff
Funding:
$99,375
The Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care’s report Living Longer, Living Well highlights a rapidly increasing need
to care for seniors requiring complex care in nursing home (NH) settings. As the number of seniors rises, pressure
increases on the care capacity in these organizations. It is estimated that by 2020, Canadian healthcare staff will spend
75% of their time with seniors requiring complex care. The majority of these workers will be registered nursing and
unregulated healthcare staff. However, insufficient geriatric content in Canadian health care education persists, leading
to serious concerns that staff do not have adequate knowledge to assess, plan, provide and document care. This deficit is
especially acute in NH settings with negative consequences for seniors. Difficulties in providing appropriate care to frail
seniors are compounded by unfamiliarity with data and assessment systems used in NHs.
This proposed study aims to develop an innovative educational model into an effective geriatric training program for
healthcare providers caring for frail older adults. The program is called the Applied Simulated and Integrated Learning
Approach (ASILA) and aims to improve targeted clinical outcomes for seniors through the use of evidence-informed case
simulations related to cognitive and physical challenges common among frail seniors. The simulations will include
specific training on the use of the Minimum Data Set (MDS) as a comprehensive assessment and quality improvement
framework.
Extensive work to-date by this multi-disciplinary research team has developed the expertise and knowledge on
developing, implementing and evaluating the ASILA Program on clinical care outcomes for frail seniors. Upon successful
completion of this pilot study, the PIs aim to expand the ASILA Program, the sample, and the training to additional
locations and provinces, and focus on a more long-term outcome evaluation of the impact of the ASILA program. This
proposed study has the potential to enhance care for frail seniors in NH settings, emphasizing quality of life, promoting
best practices, all while working within a financial framework of accountability.
Principal Investigator:
Host Institution:
Veronique Boscart, PhD, MEd,
Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
MScN, RN
Veronique Boscart is the CIHR/Schlegel Industrial Research Chair in Seniors Care for
Colleges at the Research Institute of Aging at the University of Waterloo and Conestoga
College. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing at McMaster
University and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Health and Health Systems
at the University of Waterloo. Dr. Boscart completed a post-doctoral fellowship at
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, after completing her doctorate at the University of
Toronto. She obtained her undergraduate and Masters degrees at the University of
Ghent in Belgium. Dr. Boscart has extensive nursing experience, working as a clinician,
nurse educator, manager, and researcher in Canadian and international settings, and
stays current by working as a Gerontological Nurse in emergency departments.
Her research interests are situated in three related areas: the substantive area of
evidence-based care in gerontology, curriculum development of gerontological
education for nurses and other health care professionals, and infection control
practices.
Co-Investigators:
George Heckman, MD, MSc, MA, BEng, University of Waterloo
John Hirdes, PhD, MA, BSc, University of Waterloo
Project Contact: Project Leader – vboscart@conestogac.on.ca
This research is funded by TVN (Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network), which is supported by the Government of Canada through the Networks of Centres of
Excellence (NCE) program. ™ Trademark of TVN. ©TVN, 2013-14. CAT2013-47(C) 2014 06.