Government-Assisted Rental Accommodations: Should They Accommodate Homeowners with Unmet Needs?

Stephen Golant, a national expert on elderly housing concerns, describes the types and seriousness of housing problems facing elders nationally and in Maine. Although older adults are predominantly homeowners, national policymakers often downplay the needs of this group and hand over responsibility to state and local governments. The author reviews arguments that cynics have offered for deemphasizing older homeowners’ needs, and discusses various solutions to meet those needs. He poses the question: Do we unrealistically romanticize aging in place? As the title of the article suggests, Golant proposes that a good solution to the needs of older homeowners is to increase the availability of government-assisted rental accommodations, ideally accompanied by supportive services

Assisted living : a potential solution to Canada\u27s long-term care crisis

By 2020, 29% of Canada\u27s seniors will be in the 75-84 age bracket, and 13% will be aged 85 and over. How they live and who will look after them will become increasingly urgent problems. While Canada has primarily depended on extended family and nursing homes to care for their elderly, Dr. Stephen Golant, a U.S.-Canada senior Fulbright scholar, suggests there is another way. Over a five-month period spent at Simon Fraser University\u27s Gerontology Research Centre, Dr. Golant evaluated the current state of Canada\u27s housing policy for the elderly and urged all levels of government to look at new strategies to provide for this growing group of elderly seniors. In particular, Dr. Golant suggests the establishment of Assisted Living Facilities, a more resort-like setting targeted at upper-middle and high income seniors

Standard versus prosocial online support groups for distressed breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Internet can increase access to psychosocial care for breast cancer survivors through online support groups. This study will test a novel prosocial online group that emphasizes both opportunities for getting and giving help. Based on the helper therapy principle, it is hypothesized that the addition of structured helping opportunities and coaching on how to help others online will increase the psychological benefits of a standard online group.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>A two-armed randomized controlled trial with pretest and posttest. Non-metastatic breast cancer survivors with elevated psychological distress will be randomized to either a standard facilitated online group or to a prosocial facilitated online group, which combines online exchanges of support with structured helping opportunities (blogging, breast cancer outreach) and coaching on how best to give support to others. Validated and reliable measures will be administered to women approximately one month before and after the interventions. Self-esteem, positive affect, and sense of belonging will be tested as potential mediators of the primary outcomes of depressive/anxious symptoms and sense of purpose in life.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This study will test an innovative approach to maximizing the psychological benefits of cancer online support groups. The theory-based prosocial online support group intervention model is sustainable, because it can be implemented by private non-profit or other organizations, such as cancer centers, which mostly offer face-to-face support groups with limited patient reach.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01396174">NCT01396174</a></p

Growth characteristics of the Ontario-Quebec urban system

Environment Study under a grant from Bell Canada Ltd