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How many long-term care beds will we need for our aging population?


August 27, 2014

Dr. Doug Manuel and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Peter Tanuseputro have been awarded a three-year grant valued at $254,212 by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to investigate predictors of admission of seniors to long-term care facilities. There are concerns that the aging population will strain the health-care system. One area of particular concern is the need for long-term care beds. Dr. Manuel and his team plan to develop a detailed forecast to accurately project future need for long-term care beds. The study will follow a large group of Ontarians living in the community and identify the significant factors that increase the chance of a long-term care admission, such as demographic factors, disability factors (impaired performance of everyday tasks), disease factors (heart disease, diabetes, cancer), and behavioural factors (smoking, physical activity and diet). The end goal is to create a method for anticipating future need for long-term care beds. This project is a collaboration between OHRI, the Bruyère Research Institute, and ICES University of Ottawa. Grant summaries are available through CIHR’s Funded Research Database.

About the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) is the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital and is an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa, closely associated with the university’s Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences. OHRI includes more than 1,700 scientists, clinical investigators, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and staff conducting research to improve the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human disease.

Media contact
Paddy Moore
Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-737-8899 x73687
613-323-5680 (cell)