Local student looking into accessibility to health services for English seniors
Bishop’s University grad and current University of Sherbrooke Master’s student Alexandra Ethier is on the hunt for local seniors interested in participating in a research study on the accessibility to health services for English seniors living in the Townships.
Ethier explained that she got a lot of support from the local community while studying psychology at Bishop’s.
“I always said I want to give back to
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the people who helped me,” Ethier said.
“This research is a way to do that.”
Ethier’s study is in the beginning stages and she said she is actively looking for participants.
Ethier is looking for Townshippers who identify as unilingual English, meaning they could know some French, but not enough to communicate effectively.
They should be 65 and over, living in the Eastern Townships, and they have to have attempted to use health services within the last three years.
“We want to give the most objective view of what’s going on,” Ethier said, explaining the ‘we’ includes Annie Carrier, Ethier’s research supervisor.
“I’m not a health professional,” she added, saying she believes being a student outside the health industry may make it easier for participants to open up.
According to Ethier, the plan is to meet with each participant once, for around an hour, to an hour and 30 minutes. There is no limit to the interviews she intends to conduct. “I have no due date. I need to meet people,” she said, explaining that she will continue until she has an appropriate sample of participants from all corners of the Townships.
Ethier said the meeting would be a semi-structured interview starting with a few open-ended questions. “Based on what they say I can explore,” she said, adding that participation is voluntary, and participants would not have to answer questions they find too personal to discuss.
So far, Ethier has conducted one interview.
“There are things you can see,” she said, looking forward to her next interview.
“There are no good or bad answers, it’s not an exam,” Ethier explained. “Just by participating, you are helping,” she said.
Ethier said she is willing to travel to any part of the Townships. Affiliated with the Research Centre on Aging, Ethier’s project covers the entire territory that the CIUSSS de l’estrie-chus covers.
“I can go far,” Ethier said. “The more diverse, the more we think it would be accurate.”
Ethier has been in touch with Townshippers’ Association about her project, and has started contacting local seniors’ residences and community groups. She is also putting the word out at local churches to try and recruit participants.
“There is little data about English seniors,” Ethier said.
She hopes that in the long term, her study can contribute to developing tools and programs to improve the wellbeing of seniors, and also increase awareness among health professionals about the realities of the English senior population in the Townships.
“You never know what to expect when you are doing research,” Ethier, “there are always surprises.”
Any English-speaking seniors 65 and over interested in participating in Ethier’s research study can contact her directly by phone at 819-780-2220, ext 45662 or by email at Alexandra.ethier@usherbrooke.ca