Research in Action: Public - University of Calgary

U of C researcher gives
Chinese-Canadian seniors
a voice in their health care.
For older Chinese-Canadians, getting proper medical care can seem like an insurmountable hurdle. Not
being able to receive services in their first language is a huge problem and many are discouraged by long
waiting lists — both perceived and real.
Many Chinese seniors do not drive, and struggle to use public transportation in Canada’s often-harsh climate.
Immigrants are often reluctant to use more resources from a country that has already provided them with a
new home. And culturally, many feel the services available are not a fit to their beliefs and preferred ways of
receiving health care.
Research by Dr. Daniel Lai, professor and Alberta Heritage Health Scholar in the Faculty of Social Work at the
University of Calgary, is helping develop new and improved health care services that target the distinct needs
of older Chinese-Canadians.
“I am happy to see service providers make use of my research findings to create innovative services for clients.
This is the ultimate goal: to make a better quality of life for these seniors and their caregivers,” says Lai.
Lai’s research explores how cultural attitudes affect health status and access to health care services.
Collaborating with colleagues at three universities, he focused on immigrant and ethno-cultural minority seniors
and their caregivers through a study in seven Canadian cities.
A world apart
Both the seniors and family caregivers in Lai’s studies cited various real and perceived barriers to accessing
health care services. Drawing on Lai’s findings, Calgary Family Services (CFS) designed the Innovative
Caregiving Program. They trained Chinese-Canadians, in their first language, to become in-home caregivers.
Many of those hired were new immigrants and unemployed; they now help older Chinese-Canadians to live
independently by providing personal care, home-making and meal preparation. CFS has since expanded the
program to respond to the needs of other distinct populations identified by Lai, including South Asians and
Vietnamese.
The face of Calgary
In 2001, 197,410 residents of Calgary's total population of 943,310 were
foreign-born. The number of those who immigrated to Canada before 1991
was 128,555, with 68,855 arriving between 1991 and 2001.
Of the 165,000 visible-minority residents of Calgary in 2001 (up from
127,555 in 1996), the largest population was Chinese at 51,855, followed
by South Asians at 36,855. In 2001, more than 40,000 of the visual-minority
populations stated their mother tongue as Chinese or Mandarin.
University of Calgary Research in Action 28
Statistics Canada