CARP has made contact with Professor Ian Philp of the University of Warwick, UK. Professor Philp leads an International Programme, EASYCare, which helps to identify threats to older people’s health, independence and well being and direct the older person to sources of information and support for those threats which are of greatest concern to the older person.

The EASYCare assessment consists of 49 items grouped into 7 domains: seeing hearing and communicating, looking after yourself, getting around, accommodation and finance, your safety, you mental health and well-being, staying healthy. It also includes some basic personal information and a checklist of long term medical conditions. Once assessed, information can be held in electronic records and be used by others who may be involved in the older persons care. Following an assessment, the older person is asked which of any identified concerns they would most seek help and support, which helps to prioritise the response to the assessment.

The EASYCare assessment has been under development for over 20 years and has shown to be valued by older people and those involved in their assessment and care in more than 40 countries where it has been tested. It has been found to help older people maintain their health, independence and well being and reduce the need for hospital admissions and long term care. It has also been found to be helpful in the early identification of dementia. More information about the EASYCare programme can be found at www.easycare.org.uk.

The EASY-Care team is keen to undertake a survey with CARP members to establish how the EASY-Care system could be used best for assessing and responding to threats to the health, independence and well-being of older Canadians.