Early in 2020, a project came together after a committee of family physicians, members of nonprofit organizations, Vancouver Coastal Health and other volunteers agreed there needed better communication around identifying senior frailty and caregiver burnout, and what to do about it.
In the qathet region, seniors over the age of 65 make up 27 per cent of the population. This number is close to 10 per cent higher than the provincial average, and BC Ministry of Health expects this to grow to 35 per cent by 2025.
With an aging population in mind, a task force was created to support frail seniors who remain at home, reducing hospital admissions or earlier admissions into long-term care.
Carly Martin is a project manager for Powell River Division of Family Practice and spokesperson for the Wrap Around Community Care for Rural Seniors project.
With this project, health-care providers, social workers, physiotherapists, et cetera, are on the lookout for frailty and burnout precursors. That, along with community members closing the gaps between appointments and visits, means there is a much better chance of stopping or even reversing signs of senior frailty and caregiver burnout, according to Martin.
“When we think of frail seniors, we think of people who are physically frail and not very mobile,” said Martin. “But we wanted to start identifying people who maybe had some of those precursors.”
Powell River Division of Family Practice has put together two information cards which it is distributing across the region, one for seniors and one for caregivers. The front side is covered in checkboxes alerting to identifiers of frailty or burnout, with the opposing side offering resources to address individual needs.
Martin said the benefit of having the community on board and looking for these signs is helpful because some folks may be great at presenting themselves for their 15-minute appointment, but it might not be the complete picture.
Research has found senior frailty and caregiver burnout are preventable. If caught early on, it can be stopped and even reversed, noted Martin.
To address frailty and burnout, Martin described how wraparound care, where a team of people surrounding an individual, working to spot the signs and providing resources, can help.
The team could be a combination of Vancouver Coastal Health, BC Health Authority, physicians, physiotherapists, social workers, community programs, family, friends, neighbours and more.
“It’s the whole network of people who would be wrapped around to get that person the best care possible,” added Martin.
But there are limitations. Because of confidentiality, care and service providers are limited in communicating with one another with concerns about an individual experiencing symptoms of frailty or burnout. This is where the community comes in.
“That’s the hope with putting a little bit of the onus onto the community to look out for those who they love and care for,” said Martin, “because then they can reach out to their physicians or people they know who are in that network.”
This has been an especially important element during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You may not be seeing that senior who was going out for coffee every Tuesday,” added Martin.
The go-to guy
Martin asked senior and caregiver Wayne Hanson to join the seniors’ project committee to share his perspective on senior frailty and caregiver burnout. He is a full-time caregiver for his wife and already lives in a community-oriented condominium building.
“There’s a prevailing opinion that we do what is necessary to take care of each other,” said Hanson. “And that’s not written down. It’s not a contract. It’s not something anyone has to do.”
Armed with the information cards given to him from Martin, Hanson has been making his way through his 16-unit condo building, or a big house with 16 rooms, as he puts it, and sharing the information in hopes of educating his neighbours.
In his experience, he said the signs of frailty came on gradually, but before he knew it, he was in the thick of it. Now he hopes to help others spot the signs earlier.
“How do you identify a frail senior?” asked Hanson. “You know, it’s something as simple as hair not being taken care of. Simpler hairstyle. It’s not something you’d think of, but it’s there.”
In his building, people are available to help, he added.
“It’s a bit of an unspoken buddy system,” said Hanson. “Some residents have taken on a caregiver position, even if they didn’t realize it.”
This could mean taking out the garbage for their neighbour who uses a walker, or being someone’s first contact when their family isn’t around. Hanson said it’s about knowing his neighbours well enough that they trust him and know he cares for their well-being.
“I always tell people I meet on the elevator, I’m available if you're stuck,” he added.
That community feeling
Before 80-something-year-old Isobel moved into her home, her family weighed out the options: should she move into a nursing home or remain independent in her own place? They decided to help her move into the same condo building as Hanson.
Luckily, she landed a dependable next-door neighbour who she could depend on, anytime, day or night. Because of this, she said she has no plans to move out of her condo. With her neighbour keeping an eye on her, she can feel safe and secure in her own home.
“It’s a great project; it’s very important,” said Isobel. “And this is from a senior’s point of view.”
Another neighbour, Rosalie Pasquet, said looking after one another in her building is business as usual. She keeps an eye on her 90-plus-year-old neighbour.
The same neighbour has told Pasquet several times that the sound of her footsteps above sets her mind at ease. She knows she’s not alone.
Joan Ache and her husband Rene are 86. They moved into the same building as Hanson right before news of COVID-19 hit, and she said it’s been lonely. But, knowing they have neighbours who care for them has meant a lot.
“That’s most important, that we really look out for each other as well as ourselves,” said Joan.
She checked off a few Wrap Around Community Care for Rural Seniors project boxes herself and plans to share the information with her daughter the next time she’s by for a visit. She said thinking about the sign of frailty now is important. There’s no telling what next month or next year will look like for her, she added.
“Anything that will help elderly people like us, it’s great,” said Joan. “I always say, every time I see Wayne, I smile because I know he’s always there.”
