加拿大长者聚居社区的生活品质——一个多伦多的个案研究

Quality of Life at an Elder's Collective Dwelling Community--A Case Study of a Toronto Seniors'Residence

近年来加拿大正在迅速老龄化,目前加拿大大约17%的人口年龄在65岁以上。虽然大多数老年人是在家中度过晚年,然而越来越多的老年人开始选择生活在集体居住的社区中,或者在等待这样的社区空出房间。为了了解在多元文化社会中要为长者提供满意的服务所遇到的挑战,我们做了一个个案研究,探讨生活在多伦多一个长者居住社区中的老年人的生活品质。作为加拿大首个此类研究,我们的目标是找到改善老年人生活质量的证据。研究项目采用个案研究方法,收集数据的主要方式是面对面的访谈和焦点小组讨论,数据分析的着眼点是生活质量。样本社区为老年人提供了与其年龄相符的生活方式和社交活动。大多数居住在这里的长者十分满意,他们体会到了家一般的归属感。但部分少数族裔老人感觉到有语言沟通障碍;还有一些关于社会资源支持的服务需求也没有得到满足。这些研究发现对未来制定缩小养老机构服务差距的发展战略很重要。集体居住对老年人的身心健康有积极作用,因而迫切需要增加更多的资源,以提高老年人的生活质量和主观满足感。同时,长者居住社区还需要一些极其重要的服务,如增加社会工作者,以及提供基本医疗服务和伙食补贴计划。

Canada is aging rapidly in recent years.Today,about 17 percent of the Canadian population is65 or older.Although most seniors are aging at home,an increasing number ofelders are living in collective dwelling facilities or waiting for a vacant spot in such a community.Knowing the challenge in providing elders with satisfactory services in a multicultural society,weconducted a case study to explore elders'quality of lives in an elders'residence in Toronto.Asthe first such study in Canada,our goal is finding evidences for improving the quality of life of theelders.This project employed a qualitative case study method.Face-to-face interview and focusgroup discussion were the main data collection methods.The data analysis perspective is qualityof life.The residence provides the elders an age appropriate lifestyle and socializing activities.Thus,most of its tenants feel at home and satisfied.However,some ethnic minority membersexperience communication barriers;and there are unmet service demands that require thesupport of societal resources.These findings are important for developing strategies to closethe gaps.Collective dwelling has positive effects on elders'general health.More resources areurgently needed for improving the seniors'quality of lives and their subjective well-being.Elder residents'communities require vital services such as social workers,basic health care,and a subsidized meal plan.