Interprofessional Care and Informal Support Networks of Independent Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Positive health outcomes are realized when individuals receive interprofessional care, which also includes collaboration with family and care providers. We used social network analysis to explore interprofessional care networks and experiences of independent, community-dwelling older adults and how they perceive collaboration between different medical and non-medical network members. Twenty-three participants were interviewed and asked to name individuals contributing to their health and well-being (network of care) and position them in a concentric circle to reflect the relative strength of relationships. The average network size was 11. Closest relationships were with spouses, children, and family physicians. Relationship strength with network members was marked by frequency, accessibility, longevity, and impact of interactions. Participants were ardent self-advocates for their care, but reported few apparent episodes of collaboration between network members. Our study highlights that coordinated and collaborative care for independent community-dwelling older adults is lacking and does not routinely engage non-medical network members.