Elder Life Calculator

When I asked the neurologist [at the time of] diagnosis… are we looking at one year, five years, ten years?... He couldn’t tell me. My mom’s been sick my whole life and that’s the first time that someone’s ever given me a predict[ion].” – Focus Group participant

RESPECT is short for Risk Evaluation for Support: Predictions for Elder-life in the Community Tool for the End of Life. RESPECT End-of-Life will be the first of a suite of tools that the team will develop for older people needing supports in their homes. Technically, it is a predictive algorithm that calculates your survival (that is, how long you will live) based on five to 25 questions you answer such as what diseases you have and how difficult it is to care for yourself.

Part of the challenge is talking about when a person will die. Dr. Amy Hsu, along with their colleagues from research institutions across Canada, have developed a web-based tool – the RESPECT End-of-Life calculator – specifically for this need. They are now refining and evaluating the tool before public release in Canada. This calculator identifies when a person may be nearing the end of life and provides information that helps to determine their care needs.