A science-based solution to help older Canadians age in place
An innovative program has helped thousands of older adults feel safer, more confident at home, and better connected with their communities.

For some, moving to a new place may be exciting. But for many older adults, leaving the home and community where they built a lifetime of memories is deeply challenging. Dr. Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard (in French only), a nurse researcher at the Université de Moncton, saw this firsthand in the early 1990s while working as a community health nurse.

“I visited many older adults who were moving to assisted living or nursing homes,” she recalls. “This moment weighed so much on them—they didn’t have adequate support to navigate this big life event.” At the time, programs that help people remain at home as they age—also called “aging in place”—were not common in Canada.

Determined to change that, Dr. Dupuis-Blanchard turned to research. She received CIHR funding to explore how language shaped older adults’ experiences in four communities in New Brunswick. “We knew that the older population often experienced stress accessing health services in a second language,” she explains.

Surprisingly, the study revealed that older adults faced similar challenges regardless of their language or location. “French- and English-speaking older adults in both rural and urban communities kept telling us that there are no services.” But the gaps were not in health care—they were in everyday supports like transportation and social activities that keep older adults connected.

Some of these services existed, but older adults and their families did not know about them or couldn’t access them. Dr. Dupuis-Blanchard realized that they needed help navigating existing programs and processes, including filling out application forms and following up with service providers.

As more research confirmed these gaps, she developed an evidence-based solution to improving access to services and supports for older adults aging at home: Nursing Home Without Walls. Built on the foundation of her CIHR-funded project and funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada, the program has expanded from 4 pilot sites to 36 locations across the province with support from the Government of New Brunswick.

To date, Nursing Home Without Walls has provided services to more than 5,000 older adults, with an estimated reach totalling 51,000 people (based on participation rates in activities open to the public). Thanks to the program, participants attend garden parties, exercise together, take health education classes, and even become pen pals with local students. The program has improved access to services, reducing the feeling of social isolation and loneliness.

“Older adults know where to turn for any type of help and feel safer at home and more engaged in their communities,” says Dr. Dupuis-Blachard.

Testimonials show how older adults, their families, and caretakers benefit from the program: “I feel much more secure and able to stay in my home,” explains one participant. Families report that their older relatives are smiling more and looking forward to their outings.

Nursing Home Without Walls also connects older adults to their communities. “If we post on social media asking for volunteers to help an older adult, the next day people will show up to help,” says Dr. Dupuis-Blanchard. A Port Elgin resident shared: “This project means so much to so many in our small community.”

Beyond improving quality of life, Dr. Dupuis-Blanchard notes that the program impacts the health care system by reducing hospital admissions and unnecessary hospitalization. When a transition to long-term care is necessary, older adults experience a smoother transition thanks to prior community engagement promoted through the program.

The success of Nursing Home Without Walls in New Brunswick has inspired similar efforts across Canada. Dr. Dupuis-Blanchard is now working with Healthcare Excellence Canada to scale up the program nationally.

At a glance

Issue

For many older adults, the transition from the family home to a nursing home can be challenging. Those who would like to stay in their homes may not know where to find support to age in place. As a community health nurse in the 1990s, Dr. Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard saw this challenge firsthand in New Brunswick.

Research

Nursing Home Without Walls is an innovative program, stemming from Dr. Dupuis-Blanchard’s research, that improves access to services for older adults and enables them to age in place. The program has grown across New Brunswick, and plans are underway to bring it to other locations in Canada.