[Healthy ageing in a linguistic minority situation in Canada: issues, challenges and collective mobilization]

In Canada, the health of both French and English speakers living in linguistic minority situations is a subject of interest to several researchers and community organizations. This article draws upon a symposium on the theme of healthy ageing in a linguistic minority situation, presented at the 4th International Colloquium for Local and Regional Health Programmes. Three aspects are presented: the identification of factors associated with perceived health, home care and malnutrition screening. The results describe: (a) The determinants of perceived health, such as health care services, the vitality of the minority community and education; (b) The lack of changes to home care services, despite the ageing of the population; and (c) The high prevalence of malnutrition among the elderly in New Brunswick, Canada. Finally, we make suggestions regarding the design and implementation of a national policy on ageing in Canada, in order to ensure high-quality services along the entire health continuum.