Cristina Catallo

Global forced displacement has reached unprecedented levels, with more than 123 million people uprooted by the end of 2024. Although older adults represent a growing proportion of refugee populations, their mental health needs remain overlooked. This scoping review synthesized current evidence on depression among older adult refugees aged 50 years and older. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and reported using PRISMA-ScR standards, searches were conducted in CINAHL, PsycINFO, AgeLine, and Medline for English-language publications from 2015 to 2025. A total of 1971 records were identified, with nine studies (N = 1370 participants) meeting eligibility criteria. Most studies employed cross-sectional designs and were conducted in high-income countries. Depression prevalence was consistently elevated, with rates ranging from 22% to over 70%, depending on population and measurement tools. Risk factors included female sex, widowhood, low socioeconomic status, chronic illness, functional impairment, trauma exposure, language barriers, social isolation, and limited access to care. Protective influences such as family support, higher socioeconomic status, and improved living conditions were identified but inconsistently reported. Findings indicate that older refugees are at high risk of depression, often shaped by intersecting aging- and displacement-related vulnerabilities. Findings highlight the need for culturally specific tools and longitudinal research to inform culturally safe care for older refugees.

Despite the increasing number of older Syrian refugees in Canada, little is known about how they manage their health care needs while contending with language barriers, cultural dissonance, and systemic inequities. This qualitative study explored how older Syrian refugees in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) navigate healthcare across Canadian and transnational contexts. The study was guided by the transnational circulation of care framework and used an interpretive descriptive design. Following research ethics approval, 20 older Syrian refugees were interviewed by bilingual research assistants. In-depth individual interviews were conducted in Arabic and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four interrelated themes emerged: (1) Navigating a New System; (2) Living in Two Worlds; (3) Medication Portability, Herbal Practices, and Supplement Culture; and (4) Digital Health Across Borders. Findings demonstrate that older Syrian refugees actively construct hybrid care pathways that integrate biomedical, cultural, and transnational practices. These strategies reflect resilience and adaptability but also expose gaps in the healthcare system. The study underscores the need for culturally responsive and age-friendly healthcare practices that acknowledge transnational realities. By illuminating how care circulates across borders, this study provides actionable guidance for designing responsive health systems.

Background: In Canada, 30 percent of the older adult population is foreign-born. Immigrant older adults are more likely to experience significant social isolation due to a variety of factors. However, limited research exists on the influence of specific factors. The objective of this study is to understand the economic factors that contribute to social isolation among older immigrants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada. Methods: A qualitative interpretive description method was used. Following research ethics boards’ approval, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with a total of 47 Arabic, Mandarin, and Punjabi-speaking older immigrants in the GTA. The interviews were conducted in their preferred language, audio-recorded, and translated (when needed) into English and transcribed. Thematic analysis of the data was informed by an ecosystemic framework. Results: Six themes were identified: (1) barriers to finding employment; (2) living a “hand-to-mouth life” due to limited income/pension; (3) housing costs that eliminate choices and options; (4) costs (and availability) of transportation as a barrier to getting around; (5) lack of “essential” healthcare coverage; and (6) costs of community programs that prevent “getting out of the house.” These economic factors at micro, meso, and macro levels of society intersected to create desperate situations that contributed to social isolation among older immigrants in the GTA. Conclusions/Implications: Addressing these economic factors is critical to immigrant older adults’ aging in place. Service providers must advocate for accessible physical and financial resources and services including affordable housing and transportation, old age security, and comprehensive healthcare coverage for older immigrants. Future research should focus on economic challenges faced by older adults across other immigrant communities in the GTA as well as in other cities, provinces, and territories.

The global population of older adults is growing rapidly, and refugees are now a significant proportion of the older adult population in Canada. Transnational healthcare practices (THPs)—seeking health information or services from the country of origin—may be an essential strategy used by refugee older adults in Canada, but few studies have explored this phenomenon. This is a protocol for a study, which is aimed at developing a comprehensive understanding of the role THPs play in the lives of older adults from three refugee groups (Afghan, Syrian and Ukrainian) (re)settled in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada. It will be informed by Constructivist Grounded Theory and will consist of three phases. Phase 1 will involve semi-structured individual interviews with Afghan, Syrian, and Ukrainian refugee older adults living in the GTA (n = 75–90) to explore their perspectives and experiences with various types of THP. Phase 2 will also involve semi-structured interviews with 75–90 refugee older adults from the three communities to examine the role of THP in stress, coping, and resilience in the context of health promotion, illness diagnosis, and disease management as well as the individual and contextual factors driving the use of THPs. Phase 3 will involve six focus groups (n = 36–48) with refugee older adults from these communities to explore what information, care, supports, technology, and services are needed to manage their health and illnesses locally. This project will advance knowledge in the areas of (re)settlement and integration, aging, local healthcare access, and THPs among refugee older adults in Canada. The findings will inform more effective integration policies and the delivery of efficient and equitable health information, care, support, technology, and services that address the healthcare needs of refugee older adults, enabling them to age well and age in place.

Introduction: Undergraduate nursing students have limited theoretical knowledge of and practical learning opportunities to manage COVID-19 respiratory distress. Immersive virtual reality simulations in nursing represent a new area of educational interest that has been understudied in Canada. Objective: This study aimed to measure the potential impact of immersive virtual reality simulation on content knowledge in respiratory distress induced by COVID-19, as well as perceived learning and perceived confidence in managing this condition among senior undergraduate nursing students. Methods: A pre-experimental design with a one-group pretest-post-test was employed. Nursing students (n = 30) were recruited through convenience sampling to participate in a single immersive virtual reality simulation session. Data were collected using the Respiratory Distress Management Knowledge Test, the Simulation Effectiveness Tool-Modified (subscales: Learning and Confidence), and an open-ended question. Results: The results showed an increase in knowledge (p=0.01). Participants reported a high perception of learning and confidence, and shared that this simulation helped them identify areas for improvement and strengthened their existing skills. Discussion and Conclusion: These results suggest that this immersive virtual reality simulation has the potential to enhance students’ knowledge about respiratory distress. Subjective evaluations highlight its educational potential. Further studies could explore simulation’s impact on nursing students and professionals by integrating a control group and other validated measures.

Background: Healthcare systems worldwide face the significant challenge of meeting the complex healthcare needs of refugee older adults. These individuals encounter numerous barriers at micro, meso, and macro levels in accessing and using healthcare in their host or resettled countries. Beyond these barriers, understanding their specific healthcare needs, healthcare-seeking behaviors, health practices, and the facilitators that enhance their access to and utilization of both formal and informal healthcare is crucial for improving their health outcomes. Objective: Our scoping review aims to capture the scope and range of evidence on refugee older adults’ healthcare needs, healthcare-seeking behaviors, health practices, and facilitators and barriers to access to and utilization of formal and informal healthcare. Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews along with the PRISMA-ScR framework will guide this scoping review. Literature written in English and published between 2011 and 2024 will be selected if they focused on refugee older adults who are 55 years of age and older. Scholarly literature will be searched using CINAHL, SocINDEX, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO and MEDLINE, and gray literature will be captured by searching ProQuest’s Dissertations and Theses Global, Google, and Google Scholar. The extracted data will be synthesized, and narratively presented and supported by tables designed to align with the scoping review’s objective. Implications: The results of this scoping review will be used to offer actionable insights for healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers. By mapping the existing landscape and identifying gaps, we also hope to inform the development of more inclusive and responsive healthcare models that address the specific needs of refugee older adults.

Virtual care became a routine method for healthcare delivery during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Patient preferences are central to delivering patient-centered and high-quality care. The pandemic challenged healthcare organizations and providers to quickly deliver safe healthcare to COVID-19 patients. This resulted in varied implementation of virtual healthcare services. With an increased focus on remote COVID-19 monitoring, little research has examined patient experiences with virtual care. This scoping review examined patient experiences and preferences with virtual care among community-based self-isolating COVID-19 patients. We identified a paucity of literature related to patient experiences and preferences regarding virtual care. Few articles focused on patient experiences and preferences as a primary outcome. Our research suggests that (1) patients view virtual care positively and to be feasible to use; (2) patient access to technology impacts patient satisfaction and experiences; and (3) to enhance the patient experience, healthcare organizations and providers need to support patient use of technology and resolve technology-related issues. When planning virtual care modalities, purposeful consideration of patient experiences and preferences is needed to deliver quality patient-centered care.