Health Care in Rural Communities: Exploring the Development of Informal and Voluntary Care

Nation-state restructuring has resulted in significant political, economic and social change in rural communities. One manifestation of this transformation has been the changing nature of local governance, characterised by the re-working of central-local relations and public- private responsibilities, such that local informal and voluntary sectors now play an active and direct role in the organisation and delivery of health care services. This paper investigates the relationship between the changing nature of local governance and the provision of health care services, and places it within the context of rural communities and population aging in Canada. In particular, it considers the ascendancy of informal and voluntary sectors with respect to homecare in rural Ontario, and features an analysis of data from the National Population Health Survey and the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, representing user (demand) and provider (supply) perspectives respectively. The results provide a cross-section of informal and voluntary home care in the late 1990s, which indicates that informal and voluntary sectors are major players in the local organisation and delivery of health care services in rural communities. This suggests that the current state of health care provision in rural communities of Ontario is affected very much by the changing nature of local governance associated with restructuring. The 'snap-shot' of health care in rural communities presented in this paper highlights the need to examine further the relationship between governance and health care services at the local level. It also points to the need for more detailed data sets that integrate health, informal and voluntary care data at meaningful geographical and administrative scales to reflect clearly rural communities in Canada.health care; rural communities

Financial Security of Elders in China

China is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of both geography and population size, with lower economic levels compared to the developed countries, and great regional differences. This paper introduces the rapid demographic changes of the Chinese population and the current financial security of elders in China. The World Bank’s multi-pillar model is used to explain the financial security of elders in China, which includes the current pension and health care systems in urban and rural areas in China respectively. The important issues of financial security of elders which the Chinese government should address in the near future are also discussed. The paper concludes with a consideration of the results of social welfare system reforms by the Chinese government and future research interests from a geographer’s perspective.Financial security, elders, social welfare system, China

Differential gene expression in the recovery from ischemic renal injury

Differential gene expression in the recovery from ischemic renal injury. Recovery from renal ischemia requires regeneration of damaged tubular epithelium. Previous studies have examined the expression of proto-oncogenes and growth factors after ischemia, but the response of genes coding for structural and functional genes has not been scrutinized. Rats were subjected to 40 minutes of renal artery occlusion and 60 minutes to 96 hours of reperfusion. Total RNA was isolated and mRNA for the structural protein actin, the enzymes superoxide dismutase and renin, the proto-oncogene c-fos, the nuclear protein histone H2b, and the putative marker for cell injury TRPM-2 was quantitated by Northern hybridization. Expression of the proto-oncogene c-fos was seen early but for only short duration. Histone gene expression was not markedly increased until 24 hours after ischemia, but remained increased for several days. Renin mRNA was undetectable one hour after ischemia, but was present in normal amounts at 24 and 48 hours. In contrast, superoxide dismutase mRNA was present in decreased amounts 24, 48, and 96 hours after ischemia. TRPM-2 gene expression was greatly increased 24 to 72 hours after ischemia and began decreasing at 96 hours. This selective sequence of gene expression or repression after renal ischemia might maximize the proliferative repair process. This information will be useful for designing therapies to further enhance recovery from acute renal injury

Aging and Health: An Examination of Differences between Older Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal People

The Aboriginal population in Canada, much younger than the general population, has experienced a trend towards aging over the past decade. Using data from the 2001 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) and the 2000/2001 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), this article examines differences in health status and the determinants of health and health care use between the 55-and-older Aboriginal population and non-Aboriginal population. The results show that the older Aboriginal population is unhealthier than the non-Aboriginal population across all age groups; differences in health status, however, appear to converge as age increases. Among those aged 55 to 64, 7 per cent of the Aboriginal population report three or more chronic conditions compared with 2 per cent of the non-Aboriginal population. Yet, among those aged 75 and older, 51 per cent of the Aboriginal population report three or more chronic conditions in comparison with 23 per cent of the non-Aboriginal population.Aboriginal people, health status, health care use

The Ontario Métis : characteristics and identity

Report: iv, 83 p., maps, digital fileQuestions about the nature of Métis identity have received considerable scrutiny in recent years (Foster, 1985; Hatt, 1971; Peterson and Brown, 1985). Events at Red River and Batoche have come to public attention in new ways, and this Prairie segment of Metis history has become increasingly well known. At the same time, it is evident that there are considerable populations in all parts of Canada which consider-themselves Metis, many of which do not have Red River ancestry (Table 1.0). This report explores the issue of Métis identity by analyzing the opinions and attitudes of an Ontario population which identifies itself as Métis, but appears to have few historic links with the Métis at Red River. The data derive from a 1985 questionnaire survey by the Ontario Métis and Non-Status Indian Association (OMNSIA). The survey attempted to identify the concerns, attitudes and opinions of OMNSIA members on issues of relevance to Metis and Non-Status Indians in Ontario (see Appendix A). While there are a number of problems with the survey, it nevertheless represents a unique and valuable resource for research ori Metis identity

The Illinois Veterans Treatment Court Mandate: from Concept to Success

Veteran Treatment Courts in Illinois - The VTC Mandate In Illinois, several VTCs already exist. These courts have seemingly been successful in achieving the outcomes that matter to veterans and communities. Because of the preliminary success of these courts, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed House Bill 5003 (HB 5003) into law on August 14, 2016, which amends the Veterans and Servicemembers Court Treatment Act of 2010 by providing that each judicial circuit shall—rather than may—implement a VTC by January of 2018 (Public Act 099-0807). In addition to this legislation, in November of 2015, the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) initiated an application and certification process requiring all problem-solving courts (PSCs), which include VTCs, to obtain certification prior to hearing cases. These two state actions—HB 5003 and AOIC’s certification process— together mean that every judicial circuit in the state is required to execute a thorough and comprehensive plan for implementing a VTC by January of 2018. 3 Unti