Reading Time: 3 minutes Influenza is one of Canada’s top 10 infectious diseases and has a catastrophic impact on society’s most vulnerable
Author: John Muscedere
John is an accomplished critical care researcher whose primary research interests include nosocomial infections, clinical practice guidelines, knowledge translation and critical care outcomes. He has led or participated in the development of many national and international clinical practice guidelines which have guided critical care practice including guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ventilator associated pneumonia, hypothermia post cardiac arrest, calcium channel blocker poisoning and sepsis.
In addition to his clinical and academic posts, John is the Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Frailty Network (CFN), a not-for-profit funded under Canada’s Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program. CFN is improving care of the frail elderly by: increasing frailty recognition and assessment, increasing evidence for decision-making, mobilizing evidence into policy and practice, and advocating for change in the healthcare system to meet the needs of this vulnerable population.
Put end-of-life wishes at the top of your to-do list
Reading Time: 4 minutes People who have conversations about their end-of-life preferences are much more likely to be satisfied with the care received
Prolonged journeys in space help inform research into frailty
Reading Time: 3 minutes Astronauts and seniors with frailty have much in common and innovative research may help solve problems for both
More medical tests, treatments not always the best
Reading Time: 3 minutes You can have too much of a good thing when it comes to medicine for older adults
Facing frailty head-on
Reading Time: 4 minutes A national seniors strategy needs to account for complexity in the aging process, including risk and vulnerability
Climate change places older adults at greater risk
Reading Time: 4 minutes We need to plan better to protect vulnerable seniors from the impact of climate change
Federal funding is ending but frailty still matters
Reading Time: 4 minutes New Frontiers in Research Fund supported valuable, long-term work. The program replacing it leaves huge gaps
Include people living with frailty in health-care decision-making
Reading Time: 3 minutes Older Canadians say their top priorities are better co-ordinated care systems and more community and home-based supports
Health system ignores frail Canadians when they need help most
Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s time we improved the quality and quantity of care for frail Canadians – and improved the health system for everyone in the process
Frailty a better gauge for health-care funding
Reading Time: 4 minutes New Health Accord should reject per capita funding model – and consider the precise and evidence-based concept of frailty instead