Maintaining health and well-being in people with tSCI demands access to both conventional health care and support services. Implications for Rehabilitation Access to both health and support services are important to maintaining the health and wellness of people with spinal cord injury. People with spinal cord injuries take an active role in coordinating their health, at times assuming various roles to compensate for perceived shortcomings of health care providers. Negotiating balances of power with gatekeepers in the health and insurance sectors was a key function of the coordinating role assumed by people with spinal cord injury. In order to effectively address the needs of this population, a coordinated interdisciplinary out-reach service, which includes peer support, must cross boundaries to engage sectors beyond traditional health care services, such as insurers and wellness providers.

Caregivers indicated that having honest, accurate comprehensive information regarding the ABI survivor is important. Respondents also indicated that approximately one-half of the needs have gone unmet or only partly met. This study highlights the importance for service providers to assess family needs in order to minimize distress in caregivers, maintenance of the well being of whom is integral in the support of the person with ABI.

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Purpose Social isolation and loneliness are global issues experienced by many seniors, especially immigrant and refugee seniors. Guided by the five-stage methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and more recently Levac, Colquhoun and O’Brien, the purpose of this paper is to explore the existing literature on social isolation and loneliness among immigrant and refugee seniors in Canada. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a literature search of several databases including: PubMed; MEDLINE; CINAHL; Web of Science; HealthStar Ovid; PschyInfo Ovid; Social Services Abstracts; AgeLine; Public Health Database, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library. In total, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. Findings Based on the current literature five themes related to social isolation and loneliness emerged: loss; living arrangements; dependency; barriers and challenges; and family conflict. Research limitations/implications Given the increasing demographic of aging immigrants in Canada, it is useful to highlight existing knowledge on social isolation and loneliness to facilitate research, policy and programs to support this growing population. Practical implications The population is aging around the world and it is also becoming increasingly diverse particularly in the high-income country context. Understanding and addressing social isolation is important for immigrant and refugee seniors, given the sociocultural and other differences. Social implications Social isolation is a waste of human resource and value created by seniors in the communities. Originality/value The paper makes a unique contribution by focusing on immigrant and refugee seniors.