"Potential Effects of Mail Delivery Conversion on Older Adults’ Fall Risk" by Jovana Sibalija, Mallory L. Ciminsky et al.

Scholarship@Western > WURJHNS > Vol. 6 (2016) > Iss. 1

Article Title

Potential Implications of Mail Delivery Conversion on Older Adults’ Risk of Falls in The Winter

Authors

Jovana Sibalija, Faculty of Health Sciences at Western UniversityFollow
Mallory L. Ciminsky, Faculty of Health Sciences at Western UniversityFollow
Katharine Fuchigami, kfuchiga@uwo.caFollow
Marie-Helene L.S. He, Faculty of Health Sciences at Western UniversityFollow
Yuyuan Chen, Faculty of Health Sciences at Western UniversityFollow
John Trevithick, The University of Western OntarioFollow
Geoff Bickerton, Canadian Union of Postal WorkersFollow
Aleksandra Zecevic, The University of Western OntarioFollow

Download File Format

metadata

Abstract

In December 2013, Canada Post announced they would be converting approximately five million households from door-to-door mail delivery to community mailboxes (CMB). The decision was made to address decreasing letter mail volume and operating losses experienced by the crown corporation. The CMBs will be phased in over the five years mainly in urban areas across the country. The decision to convert to CMBs makes Canada the only among the G8 countries to end home delivery of mail. As a result, no research exists on the implications of the change. Particular concern has been raised over how the conversion will affect older adults. One area that needs examination is the consequences of the CMBs delivery model on fall rates among older adults in the winter. Falls are common among seniors, with 20-30% community dwelling older adults falling each year. The risk of falling is increased in the winter when there is snow and ice on the ground. Injuries dues to falls consume a great deal of healthcare resources. The purpose of this scoping literature review was to determine: What are the implications for the elderly population of Canada Post’s decision to convert home delivery of mail to community mailbox delivery? Specifically, the review focused on how the conversion may impact fall rates among older adults in the winter.

Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2015-16.8

Recommended Citation

Sibalija, Jovana; Ciminsky, Mallory L.; Fuchigami, Katharine; He, Marie-Helene L.S.; Chen, Yuyuan; Trevithick, John; Bickerton, Geoff; and Zecevic, Aleksandra (2016) "Potential Implications of Mail Delivery Conversion on Older Adults’ Risk of Falls in The Winter," WURJ: Health and Natural Sciences: Vol. 6: Iss. 1, Article 8.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5206/wurjhns.2015-16.8
Available at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/wurjhns/vol6/iss1/8

This document is now available on OJS

COinS