Janice M. Keefe
Professor, Chair
Director, Nova Scotia Centre on Aging
Lena Isabel Jodrey Chair in Gerontology
BA (UPEI), MA, PhD (Guelph)
Email: janice.keefe@msvu.ca
Phone: (902) 457-6466
Office: McCain 201F
Biography
I received my BA in Sociology from the University of Prince Edward Island, my MA in Sociology/Anthropology from the University of Guelph, and my PhD in Family Relations and Human Development in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph.Prior to coming to Mount Saint Vincent University in 1990, I worked in public municipal home care (1986-1990). I am currently a Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Studies and Gerontology and hold adjunct appointments at Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine and as a research scientist at the Maritime SPOR Unit.
My research areas include family caregiving policy and practice, home and long term care policy, home and long term care human resources and rural aging. I have been honoured by numerous award for my research contributions, most recently a Global Aging Research Network Award for Applied Research (2017), and Canadian Association on Gerontology’s Distinguished Member Award (2017). From 2002-12 I was the Mount’s first Canada Research Chair in Aging and Caregiving Policy. Currently, I am the Scientific Director of Seniors: Adding Life to Years (SALTY) a national team to improve the quality of life for residents in long term care in Canada (2016-20) and Principal Investigator on How approaches to care shape the pathways of older adult home care clients (2018-22) – both funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). I am active on numerous advisory boards including Statistics Canada’s Demographic Advisory committee, the European Union’s More Years Better Lives funding initiative and the Canadian Academy of Health Science expert panel on dementia. I enjoy teaching in the Masters and Undergraduate Programs in Family Studies and Gerontology and providing mentorship and supervision to a number of graduate students and post–doctoral fellows.
Research Interests
- Family/Friend caregivers to older people needing assistance (including women who combine work and eldercare, rural caregivers, assessment of caregivers, paying family members, and reciprocity between elderly parents and children)
- Formal caregivers and human resource issues for home care and long term care
continuum of care system - Dementia Care
- Rural aging
Selected Publications
Taylor, D. & Keefe, J. (2021, In press). How residents’ quality of life are represented in long term care policy: A novel method to support policy analysis. Journal of Long Term Care
Hande, M.J., Taylor, D., & Keefe, J. (2021). The role of volunteers in enhancing resident quality of life in long term care: Analyzing policies that may enable or limit this role. Canadian Journal on Aging, ePub ahead of press. https://www.doi.org/10.1017/S0714980821000106
Mah, J., Stevens, S., Keefe, J. M., Rockwood, K., & Andrew, M. (2021). Social factors influencing utilization of home care in community-dwelling older adults: A scoping review. BMC Geriatrics, 21(no. 145), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02069-1
Hande, M.J., Keefe, J., & Taylor, D. (2021). Long-term residential care policy guidance for staff to support resident quality of life. The Gerontologist, 61(4), 540–551. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa176
Duan, Y., Iaconi, A., Song, Y., Norton, P.G., Squires, J.E., Keefe, J., Cummings, G.G., Estabrooks , C.A. (2020). Care aides working multiple jobs: Considerations for staffing policies in long-term care homes during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 21(10), 1389-1391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2020.07.036
Keefe, J., Cranley, L., Berta, W., Taylor, D, Beacom, A., McAfee, E., MacEachern, L., Boudeau, D., Hall, J. Thompson, G., Squires, J., Wagg, A., & Estabrooks, C. (2020). Examining the role of policy in shaping best practice dissemination: A case study of informal professional advice networks in Canadian long-term care. Canadian Journal on Aging, 1-11. doi:10.1017/S0714980820000057
MacEachern, L., Cranley, L., Curran, J., & Keefe, J. (2020). The role of motivation in the diffusion of innovations in Canada’s long-term care sector: A qualitative study. Implementation Science Communications, 1(79), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-020-00069-7
Estabrooks, C.A., Straus, S., Flood, C.M., Keefe, J., Armstrong, P., Donner, G., Boscart, V., Ducharme, F., Silvius, J., & Wolfson, M. (2020). Restoring trust: COVID-19 and the future of long-term care in Canada. FACETS, 5(1), 651-691. https://dx.doi.org/10.1139/facets-2020-0056
Chamberlain, S., Estabrooks, C. Keefe, J., Hoben, M., Berendonk, C., Corbett, K., & Grenier, A., Citizen and stakeholder led priority setting for long-term care research: identifying research priorities within the Translating Research in Elder Care (TREC) Program. resubmitted to Research Involvement and Engagement May 2020.
Keefe, J., Hande, M., Aubrecht, K., Daly, T., Cloutier, D., Taylor, D., Hoben, M., Stajduhar, K., Cook, H., Bourgeault, I., MacDonald, L., Estabrooks, C. (2020). Team-Based Integrated Knowledge Translation for Enhancing Quality of Life in Long-term Care Settings: A Multi-method, Multi-sectoral Research Design. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 9(4), 138-142. https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2019.123
Berta, W., Wagg, A., Cranley, L., Doupe, M., Ginsberg, L., Hoben, M., MacEachern, L., Chamberlain, S., Clement, F., Easterbrook, A., Keefe, J., Knopp-Sihota, J., Rappon, T., Reid, C., Song, Y. Estabrooks, C. (2019). Sustainment, Sustainability, and Spread Study (SSaSSy): Protocol for a study of factors that contribute to the sustainment, sustainability, and spread of practice changes introduced through an evidence-based quality-improvement intervention in Canadian nursing homes, Implementation Science, 14, 109. (10 pages) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-019-0959-2
Queluz, F., Kervin, E., Wozney, L., Fancey, P., McGrath, P. & Keefe, J. (2019). Understanding the needs of caregivers of persons with dementia: A scoping review. International Psychogeriatrics. Advanced online publication. 10.1017/S1041610219000243
Cranley, L.A., Keefe, J., Taylor, D., Thompson, G., Beacom, A.M., Squires, J.E., Estabrooks, C.A., Dearing, J.W., Norton, P.G., Berta, W.B. (2019). Understanding professional advice networks in long-term care: An outside-inside view of best practice pathways for diffusion. Implementation Science, 14(10), 2-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-019-0858-6
Wozney, L., Freitas de Souza, L.M., Kervin, E., Queluz, F., McGrath, P.J., Keefe, J. (2018). Commercially available mobile apps for caregivers of people with Alzheimer Disease or Other Related Dementias. Journal of Medical Internet Research-Aging, 1(2): e12274. DOI: 10.2196/aging.12274
Andrew, M., Dupuis-Blanchard, S., Maxwell, C., Giguere, A., Keefe, J., Rockwood, K., & St. John, P. (2018). Social and societal implications of frailty, including impact on Canadian healthcare systems. Journal of Frailty and Aging. 7(4), 217-223.
Guberman, N., Keefe, J., & Fancey, P. (published online 05 July 2018). The assessment experience of spousal dementia caregivers. “It’s made me realize that I am a person also”. Ageing & Society. doi:10.1017/S0144686X18000557
Weeks, L. E., Chamberlain, S., & Keefe, J. (2017). What makes a nursing home a home? Insights from family members and friends. Housing, Care & Support, 20(4), 152-163. https://doi.org/10.1108/HCS-05-2017-0013
Chamberlain, S., Weeks, L.E, & Keefe, J. (2017). Factors influencing family member perception of “homelikeness” in long term care homes. Journal of Housing for the Elderly, 1-16. doi:10.1080/02763893.2017.1335672
Dearing, J., Beacom, A., Chamberlain, S., Meng, J., Berta, W., Keefe, J., Squires, J., Doupe, M., Taylor, D., Reid, R.C., Cook, H., Cummings, G., Baumbusch, J., Knopp-Sihota, J., Norton, P., & Estabrooks, C. (2017). Pathways for best practice diffusion: The structure of informal relationships in Canada’s long term care sector. Implementation Science, 12(11). doi:10.1186/s13012-017-0542-7
Panagiotoglou, D., Fancey, P., Keefe, J., & Martin-Matthews, A. (2017). Job satisfaction: Insights from home support workers in three Canadian jurisdictions. Canadian Journal on Aging, (36)1, 1-14.
Keefe, J., Dill, D., Ogilvie, R., & Fancey, P. (2017). Examining household model of residential long term care in Nova Scotia. Health Reform Observer, 5(1), 1-10. doi: https://doi.org/10.13162/hro-ors.v5i1.2748
Godin, J., Keefe, J., & Andrew, M.K. (2016). Handling missing Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) values: Results from a cross-sectional long-term care study. Journal of Epidemiology, 27(4), 163-171 doi:10.1016/j.je.2016.05.001
Krawchenko, T., Keefe, J., Manuel, P., & Rapaport, E. (2016). Coastal climate change, vulnerability and age friendly communities: Linking planning for climate change to the age friendly communities agenda. Journal of Rural Studies (44), 55-62.
Aubrecht, K., & Keefe, J. (2016). The becoming subject of dementia. Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal. 12(2&3), 137-154.
Aubrecht, K., & Keefe, J. (2016). ‘Everybody has different levels of why they are here’: Deconstructing domestication in the nursing home setting. In M. Rembis (Ed.), Disabling domesticity (pp. 215-239). New York : Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-48769-8
Godin, J., Keefe, J., Kelloway, K., & Hirdes, J. (2015). Nursing home resident quality of life: Testing for measurement equivalence across resident, family, and staff perspectives. Quality of Life Research, 24(10), 2365-2374. doi: 10.1007/s11136-015-0989-4
Rapaport, E., Manuel, P., Krawchenko, T. and Keefe, J. (2015). How can aging communities adapt to coastal climate change? Mapping community asset vulnerability for planning and adaptation. Canadian Public Policy, 41(2), 166-177. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/cpp.2014-055
Manuel, P., Rapaport, E., Keefe, J., Krawchenko, T. (2015). Coastal climate change and aging communities in Atlantic Canada: A methodological approach to community asset and social vulnerability mapping. The Canadian Geographer, 59(2), 1-14. doi: 10.1111/cag.12203
Ward-Griffin, C., Browne, J.B., St-Amant, O., Sutherland, N., Martin-Matthews, A., Keefe, J., Kerr, M. (2015). Nurses negotiating professional-familial care boundaries: Striving for balance. Journal of Family Nursing, 21(1), 57-85. doi: 10.1177/1074840714562645
Research Grants
Principal Applicant: Nova Scotia Health. (April 2021–July 2022). Unsung Heroes: Long Term Care Staff’s Quality of Work Life. CoAs: Estabrooks, C., Stevens, S. ($99,951).
Nominated Principal Investigator: Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement Implementation Science Teams: Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness in Long-Term Care. (December 2020–October 2021). Implementation of policies that support and hinder families as partners in care during COVID-19 pandemic. ($149,984).
Co-Investigator: Nova Scotia COVID-19 Health Research Coalition: Rapid Research Call – COVID-19 Response. (June 2020-April 2021). Evidence to assess the impact of COVID-19 on community-based dementia care in Nova Scotia. PI: Aubrecht, K. ($54,908 CDN).
Co-Applicant: Department of Health & Wellness (April 2019 – March 2020). Research on Staffing Models for Long Term Care and Home Care in Nova Scotia. ($230,000).
Principal Applicant: Employment and Social Development Canada (February -May 2019). Synopsis of Seniors Strategies in Canada and Abroad. ($24,960)
Principal Applicant: CCA PAC (January – May 2019). Review and revision of the Continuing Care Assistant Curriculum Standards ($11,880).
Co-Applicant: SSHRC Insight Development Grant: An Arts-Informed Relational Approach to Understanding Nursing Home Staff Dementia & Mental Health Literacy (September 2018-June 2020). PA: Aubrecht, K.; Co-A.s: Keefe, J., Chandler, E., Rice, C., Dupuis, S., Kelly, C., Chivers, S., Wilson, K., Moody, E.; and 6 Collaborators ($67,949)
Co-Applicant: CIHR: Project Grant. (2018-2021). Sustainability, Sustainment, and Spread Study (SSaSSy): An Exploratory Study of Factors that Contribute to the Sustainability, Sustainment & Spread of a Complex Quality Improvement Intervention in Canadian Nursing Homes. Berta, WB (NPI), Estabrooks CE (Co-PI), Wagg A (Co-PI), Keefe J, plus other (Co-I) and 7 Collaborators: $967,724 (CAD).
Co-Applicant: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): Planning and Dissemination Grant (2018- November 2019). Garcia, L. (Applicant). C-As: Drummond, N., McCleary, L., O’Sullivan, T., Robitaille, A. Engaging Canada in an international exchange on the positive aspects of caring for older adults (PACOA). ($19,020).
Nominated Principal Applicant: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (April 2018- April 2022). Project Grant: Fall 2017: How approaches to care shape the pathways of older adult home care clients. (865,980). (PA: Stevens, S. Co-Is: Donaldson, J., Funk, L., Graves, K., Lobchuk, M., Macdonald, Marilyn, MacDonald, Martha, MacDonald, MJ., Mitchell, L., Warner, G).
Principal Applicant: Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) (February- March 2018). Issues of interest to Canadians on Seniors’ Health. ($11,880)
Co-Applicant: Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation (NSHRF) (August 2017-August 2018) Development and Innovative Grant: The experiences and perceptions of unpaid caregivers providing care for community-dwelling adults with dementia: A qualitative systematic review. ($15,000). (Co-A: MacDonald, M.)
Principal Investigator: Province of Nova Scotia (July 2017- December 2018). Research project: older worker employment and labour force participation (Phase 1: $24,840, Phase 2: $48,060).
Co-Applicant: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (May 2017-May 2018). Planning and Dissemination Grant: Supporting dementia family caregivers in rural Canadian communities. ($19,609). (PA: Chiu, M.; Co-A’s Sadavoy, J., Lobchuk, M., Keefe, J.)
Principal Investigator: Seniors and Pensions Policy Secretariat, Employment and Social Development Canada. Is the financial well being of Canadian carers at risk? A think piece. ($8,000)
Principal Investigator: Veterans Affairs Canada. Strategic Program: Long term residential care in Canada: Current issues, best practices and future trends. ($19,920)
Co-Investigator: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (July 2016-July 2023). Foundation Scheme: 2015 2nd Live Pilot: Accessible and cost effective psychosocial health interventions for Canadians. ($4,100,000). (PI: McGrath, P.)
Co-Investigator: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (March 2016 – March 2019). Project Scheme: 2016 1st Live Pilot: Safer care for older persons in residential environments. ($913,577). (PI: Wagg, A.; Co-PI’s: Estabrooks, C. et al)
Co-Investigator: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (June 2016 – June 2018). Operating Grant: Knowledge to Action: Caregivers, the lynchpin to homecare clients remaining at home. (CIHR: $195,000) (Nominated PI: Warner, G.; Co-PI: Campbell, A)
Nominated Principal Investigator & Scientific Lead: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)(May 2016- April 2020). Team Grant: Late Life Issues. Seniors- adding life to years (SALTY). (CIHR Request: $1,397,931; AIHS Partner Funds: $200,000, Alzheimer Society of Canada Partner Funds: $37,500, MSFHR Partner Funds: $200,000, NSHRF Partner Funds: $200,000). (Co-PI: Estabrooks, C.)
Co-Investigator: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) (2015-2018). Transitional Open Operating Grant Competition: Improving Nursing Home Care through Feedback On PerfoRMance Data (INFORM). ($756,827) (Nominated PI: Estabrooks, C.; PI: Wagg et al.)
Co-Investigator: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).Insight Grant. The next generation of retirees: How will demographic trends affect the timing of retirement of Baby Boomers and their standard of living? ($315, 344) (PI: Carriere, Y.)
Co-Investigator: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)(2014-2018). Canadian Consortium of Neurodegeneration and Aging TEAM 18: Dementia family caregivers who are employed in the Canadian workforce ($744,123) (PI: J. Savoy)
Co-Principal Investigator: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)(Jun 2014 to May 2017). Partnerships for Health System Improvement (PHSI) Advice seeking networks in long term care. ($615,000) (PI: Estabrooks, C.)