The Structure of Helping Networks for Community Dwelling Seniors with Arthritis

This research study has two main objectives:

to understand the interrelationships among older persons with arthritis and their informal and formal helping networks in order to develop a conceptual model of community-based teamwork; and
to examine the performance of teams in terms of their effectiveness in maintaining the perceived independence of community dwelling seniors with arthritis.

Multiple methods, including focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and self-administered questionnaires have been used to address the objectives. Data collection is complete, and preliminary analyses indicate that the size of the network and amount of service received are not directly related to the level of dependence perceived by clients.

This research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), in partnership with The Arthritis Society Ontario Division (TASOD), University of Toronto, and University Health Network (UHN).

ACREU Investigators: Dr. Cheryl Cott, Dr. Monique Gignac, Dr. Elizabeth Badley