The Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA) publishes an article on its blog concerning a research project led by the Chair (March 2020)
In acknowledgment of National Anti-Bullying Day, CNPEA Coordinator Bénédicte Schoepflin interviewed Marie Beaulieu on the subject of the bullying of older adults.
The information from this interview explores the origins and aims of the Chair’s new research-action project entitled Program to Promote ‘Living Well Together’ and Counter Resident-to-resident Mistreatment: To Improve the Quality of Community Living in Private Seniors’ Residences.
During their exchange, Marie Beaulieu introduced the genesis of this project as when Chartwell Retirement Residences in the Eastern Townships Region noticed communication and interaction issues between residents sharing a communal environment. Intending to improve ‘community living,’ the Chartwell residences and the Research Chair joined forces to develop a research-action project.
Dr. Beaulieu summarized this one-year project by stating that it would establish ‘an initial overview of the situation based on focus groups of older adults, of staff, and management. The work is focused on two aspects: countering mistreatment and bullying, and promoting wellness care.’
What has emerged from this research-action project is that community living requires an adjustment from older adults, some of whom have ‘never experienced this type of environment in their lives (…) learning to live together with others is something completely new and has many challenges.’
The second component of the project is to develop and establish a program promoting ‘living well together.’ Data collection will be done in the first year to develop, grade, and improve the intervention program in the second year. The third year will be dedicated to the dissemination of the program and the project’s results to various stakeholders.
Dr. Beaulieu ended the interview by noting that this project illustrates (is a part of) ‘real research-action where there is creativity, programming, intervention and evaluation, and where older adults themselves play an important role.’