Building an Evidence-Based Framework for the Development of a Newfoundland and Labrador Centre on Aging

• Main Authors: Cake, Leslie, Wells, Carla, Wideman, Gail, Ploughman, Michelle, O'Brien, Kelli, Buehler, Sharon, Bowering, Linda
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Applied Health Research 2011
• Subjects: R Medicine (General); Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/1697/; https://research.library.mun.ca/1697/1/NL_Centre_on_Aging.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/1697/3/NL_Centre_on_Aging.pdf; http://www.nlcahr.mun.ca/research/reports_search/HARP_final_report_Oct5.pdf

Life expectancies are increasing and populations are aging in all western industrialized countries. Given the demographics, the health and well-being of older adults and the provision of services for seniors are major priorities for all levels of government and will become increasingly so. Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) has one of the highest proportions (13.9%) of seniors of any province and that percentage is expected to increase to 20% by 2017 (Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework, 2007). Statistics Canada has recently projected that by 2031, NL will have the highest proportion of older adults in Canada. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has acknowledged the need to address the challenges of an aging population in the Healthy Aging Policy Framework. There are approximately 18 Canadian research centres involved in the study of aging. The only province without a centre dedicated to the study of aging is NL1. The establishment of a NL Centre on Aging would be an important development given the demographics and the unique circumstances of the province and its people. A NL Centre on Aging would facilitate aging-related research and education, thereby assisting the government of NL in achieving the goals of the Healthy Aging Policy Framework. The present document describes a qualitative descriptive investigation funded by the Healthy Aging Research Program (HARP) of the NL Centre for Applied Health Research (NLCAHR) and by the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University.