A Research Chair at Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health has been successful in obtaining $134,000 from OMAFRA to support his study into the relationship between food security and seniors in rural communities.
Dr. Allan Lauzon says our health care system encourages people to live in their homes for as long as possible, but he adds, "With seniors you're also talking about potential capacity issues, so even if they have access to food, financially and physically, maybe a case of preparation, they have capacity issues or maybe issues of motivation."
He says managing chronic disease is a major issue in small, rural communities; and diet is a major factor in managing chronic disease.
Dr. Lauzon adds the inability to manage chronic diseases can often lead to hospital re-admissions; and diet can be critical in managing those problems, putting more stress on our health care system.
In the first year of the study, they'll be talking with a variety of service providers as well mapping out a food eco-system outlining where the food stores are located and what kinds of foods they have.
Then they will conduct interviews with service providers, and the following year, they will conduct interviews with seniors living independently in Grey, Bruce, Huron and Perth counties.
