Canada’s population is getting older. As of July 2015, the population of people 65 and older is now larger than the number of children under 15 (Statistics Canada, 2015).

Virtually all health professionals will care for an older adult at some point in their career. The changing demographics of the Canadian population necessitates that health care professional students are adequately prepared to meet the changing and complex health and social care needs of older adults and acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes to address the uniqueness of providing health care for older persons.

This web-based program, or 'toolkit', is grounded in evidence and our own research, and consists of an online course, a video case study, and other resources to help improve attitudes and communication skills essential for the care of older adults.

Online Course

The BUILDING COMPETENCE IN OLDER ADULT CARE course is a self-directed, interactive e-learning course focused on older adult care, and is intended to assist with the development of key competencies identified for the Interprofessional Approach to Caring for Older Adults.

Through a series of brief modules, the course addresses the following six competencies:

1. Communicate with older adults using a client (patient)-centred approach that embodies empathy, autonomy and respect, encourages active participation in decision-making and avoids stereotypes of age, dependency and incompetence.
2. Actively listen to other team members, ensure common understanding of care plans, support shared decision-making and responsibility for care across team members and demonstrate respect for all team members, including older adults and their informal caregivers, as appropriate.
3. Optimize the environment for dignity, privacy, engagement and safety, adapting to the unique preferences of each older adult.
4. Work with other team members and use appropriate communication skills to enable older adults and their informal caregivers (as appropriate) to make informed decisions about their health.
5. Recognize and respect the diversity and interdependence of other health and social care professionals, and their roles, responsibilities and competencies in disease prevention, health promotion and health surveillance for older adults.
6. Recognize common situations that are likely to lead to conflict, establish a safe environment in which to express diverse opinions and engage self and others, including the older adult and informal caregivers (as appropriate) in positively and constructively addressing disagreements as they arise.

In order to receive a Certificate of Participation, you will need to complete all of the required learning modules within the course.

As you work through the course, you will be referred to a 'workbook'. The workbook is a fillable PDF that should be available and open as you work through the course. The workbook provides another record of your participation and learning within the course.

Ready to get started? Click here to return to the homepage and then click the "Start Course" button.

Video Case Study

Designed as a stimulus for teaching and learning, this video walks through 2 alternate versions of a scenario involving Kathryn, who has been living alone since her husband died 5 years ago. The video can be used by preceptors/teachers as a springboard for in-class discussions of some of the interactions among the interprofessional team and the patient. Example clips are also used within the e-learning course.

Additional Resources

There are other resources available to you as well. These have been organized into six categories based on key themes that health professionals should consider when working with older adults. These themes were identified through a review of the literature and internet-based resources on attitudes and approaches to working with older adults. The categories are:

• Attitude
• Comfort
• General Resources
• Inclusiveness
• Non-verbal Communication
• Verbal Communication

Learners from various health professions have participated in the selection, assessment and review of the resources listed on this site.

Ready to get started? Click here to return to the homepage and then click the "Start Course" button.