Appendix: Interview guides
A Qualitative Look at Serious Legal Problems for Seniors
Research Conducted by
Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
55 University Avenue, Suite 1500
Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2H7
Tel: 416-598-2656 x 231
Toll Free: 1-855-598-2656
Fax: 416-598-7924
Email: info@ace.clcj.ca
Original Document Created by
Doris Rajan, PhDFootnote 2
Modification to Guide by
Kimber-lee Wargalla, Member of Project Team, Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
With Permission from Doris Rajan, PhD
Interview Guide
March 2023
Consent Process
A Letter of Information and Consent for interview participants will be completed in advance by all those who have agreed to participate. The researcher will review the information in this letter before the interview begins.
Thank you for agreeing to participate. I am a researcher who has been engaged by Justice Canada to conduct a small qualitative study on legal problems experienced by seniors in Ontario. The research will stand on its own, but also join the series of qualitative surveys which are being carried out to complement the national Canadian Legal Problems Survey. In this interview I will be asking questions about; 1) The types of legal problems that you may have experienced in the last three to five years; 2) The ways you have attempted to resolve those problems; and, 3) The outcome and impact of these experiences.
The information you share today is completely confidential, and we will not associate your name with anything you say in this interview. We would also like to tape this interview so that we can make sure to capture the thoughts, opinions, and ideas that you share today. The information will be used exclusively to inform this research. You may refuse to answer any question or withdraw from the study at any time and you will still receive your honorarium. If you have any questions now, during or after this interview please feel free to contact me.
Explanation of the process
This interview will last for a maximum of one hour. There are no wrong or right answers I am here to learn from you. Any questions? Here we go!
Turn on recording device.
I. Introduction
If you would like, tell me a bit about yourself.
II. Questions:
1. Have you experienced any serious problems or had any interactions with the legal system in the last three to five years?
Probes *(See next three pages for more detail probes for Question 1)
- Purchases or services *
- Work related problem *
- Financial – bank or collection agency *
- Family related – child custody, domestic violence *
- Discrimination – due to disability, race, gender, age, etc.*
- Access to health or medical treatments and/or medical records
- Problems with health practitioners such as doctors, nurses, dentists, denturists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, optometrists, pharmacists and dieticians
- Problems with Home care services or in-home service providers
- Access to prescription medications
- Assistive devices
- Power of attorney problems
- Property: vandalism, property destruction
- Housing – access to housing, social housing, calculation of rent-geared-to-income, arrears, repairs, harassment, discrimination or other housing issues
- Income or social assistance – CPP, OAS, GIS or GAINS problems
- Interruption or termination of driving privileges
- Immigration related
- Interaction with the police
- Interaction with the Public Guardian and Trustee
- Problems with a lawyer, accountant, investment advisor, religious or spiritual advisor, or other professional
If there is more than one problem, go to Question 2.
Question 1: Additional Probes
- Purchases or services
- a large purchase for which you did not receive what you paid for e.g., home, motor vehicle, scooter or major appliances
- major repairs or renovations for which you did not receive what you paid for e.g., home renovations, repairs done to your motor vehicle or major appliances
- door-to-door sales where you did not receive what you paid for or that there were hidden conditions in the contract
- suspicious liens or mortgages against
- not getting what you paid for in a service e.g., a moving company, a health club membership, a vacation package or having your taxes prepared
- a safety concern with something you bought
- an insurance claim,
- a bill or invoice that was incorrect
- not getting a refund
- Work related problems
- age discrimination in hiring, promotions, hours and dismissals
- not being paid your wages, not being paid for working overtime, not getting vacation pay, severance pay or other wages that you believe were owed to you
- being fired or dismissed from a job
- being refused family-related leave (e.g., caregivingleave), sick leave, or other rights that were part of agreed conditions of work
- a safety issue at your job or workplace
- being subject to disciplinary procedures at work
- Financial – bank or collection agency
- personal bankruptcy
- a collection agency contacting you repeatedly to get you to pay an outstanding bill or debt
- the refusal of credit because of inaccurate information
- a bank or credit union contacting you repeatedly to get you to pay an incorrect charge
- a bank or credit union not accepting power of attorney (POA) documentation OR insisting you create a new power of attorney
- an electricity, gas, or cable company, or any other utility contacting you repeatedly to get you to pay an incorrect charge
- a threat of legal action from an individual, a company or a government agency to collect debt
- misleading or incorrect information that led you to buy insurance, pensions, mortgages or other financial products
- collecting money owed to you (exclude rent or any housing-related money owed) e.g., a loan to a friend or family member
- Family related – elder abuse, financial abuse, domestic violence
- violence or threats of violence from a family member or someone who lives in your household
- someone who lives in your household isolating you or attempting to isolate you from other family members
- someone in your household interfering with your mail, email, phone or other private communications
- someone in your household threatening to bring you to hospital, a long-term care home, a retirement home or another place you don’t want to go
- problems with unwanted visitors or guests who refuse to leave your home when asked to do so
- problems with joint bank accounts with a family member
- problems getting information about your bank accounts, pensions and other financial information
- problems with gifts or loans to family members
- problems with family members taking money, savings or other property that belongs to you
- the division of money or property following a family break-down
- collecting spousal support that you were awarded by the court
- applying for, enforcing, or making changes to a spousal support order
- obtaining or enforcing a restraining or civil protection order in the case of a couple or family break-down
- problems with obtaining guardianship of or caring for a child who is not your own
- Discrimination
- Where did you experience harassment, e.g., in a store, at work, at home, when dealing with health practitioners or police?
- Was the harassment based on any of the following grounds, e.g., race, colour, ethnicity; Indigenous identity; religion; age; sex, gender identity or expression; sexual orientation; marital status; family status; a physical or mental disability; language, etc.?
- Please indicate the nature of the harassment you experienced (e.g., aggressive behaviour, offensive remark, sexual comment or gesture, etc.).
2. Do you think any of your legal problems were connected to one another?
Probe: Which of the problems may have caused or contributed to the other problems that you experienced?
3. Did you think the legal problem was serious?
4. What did you do to try and solve this legal problem?
Probes:
- Did you make a complaint?
- Did you contact a lawyer / community legal clinic?
- Did you contact a social worker?
- Did you attend court?
- Were you aware of supports and resources that were available to you?
- If you didn’t take action, why not?
- If you received legal advice, who did you receive legal advice from?
- If you did not receive advice from a legal professional, why not?
- What approaches did you find helpful?
- What approaches did you find unhelpful?
5. What was the legal outcome? What happened?
Probes:
- How much did legal professionals help?
- What is the current status of the problem?
- Were there any costs associated with the problem?
- Were there any costs associated with finding a solution?
- Was the cost of the solution a problem?
6. What has been the effect of these legal problems on your life?
Probes:
- On your mental/emotional health?
- On your physical health?
- Financially?
- In your relationships?
This is the end of the interview. For purposes of noting any differences between groups of people, could I ask you some questions about how you self-identify?
Again, all the information I am gathering is confidential and will not be connected to your name.
Socio-Demographic Information
- What is your gender?
- Male
- Female
- Other – please specify
- Do you identify as:
- Heterosexual
- Two-spirited
- Lesbian or gay
- Bisexual
- Other – please specify
- Do you identify as Indigenous?
- First Nations
- Métis
- Inuk
- Other (i.e. specific nation)
- Citizenship Status
- Born in Canada
- Born outside Canada (Specify country)
- Landed immigrant
- Permanent Resident
- Canadian Citizen
- Do you identify as:
- White
- South Asian e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan
- Chinese
- Black
- Filipino
- Arab
- Latin American
- Southeast Asian e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai
- West Asian e.g., Iranian, Afghan
- Korean
- Japanese
- Other (specify)
- What language(s) do you speak?
- What language do you feel most comfortable speaking in?
- What language do you feel most comfortable reading in?
- What is your household average income?
- Does your income include:
- Employment income
- CPP
- OAS
- GIS/GAINS
- Private Pension(s)
- Does your income include:
- (Literacy) Do you read newspapers, magazines or books?
- (Numeracy) Do you receive your bank statements? Follow up: do you understand them?
- What is the highest certificate, diploma or degree that you have completed?
- How old were you when you left school?
- Do you have any health issues or conditions?
A Qualitative Look at Serious Legal Problems for Seniors
Research Conducted by
Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
55 University Avenue, Suite 1500
Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2H7
Tel: 416-598-2656 x 231
Toll Free: 1-855-598-2656
Fax: 416-598-7924
Email: info@ace.clcj.ca
Original Document Created by
Doris Rajan, PhDFootnote 3
Modification to Guide by
Kimber-lee Wargalla, Member of Project Team, Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
With Permission from Doris Rajan, PhD
Focus Group Interview Guide
March 2023
Consent Process
A Letter of Information and Consent for focus groups participants will be completed in advance by all those who have agreed to participate. The researcher will review the information in this letter at the beginning of the focus group.
Thank you for agreeing to participate. We are researchers who has been engaged by Justice Canada to conduct a small qualitative study on legal problems experienced by seniors in Ontario. The research will stand on its own, but also join the series of qualitative surveys which are being carried out to complement the national Canadian Legal Problems Survey. In this focus group I will be asking questions about; 1) The types of legal problems that you (or your clients) may have experienced in last three to five years; 2) The ways you (or your clients) have attempted to resolve these problems; and 3) The outcome and impact of these experiences.
The information you share today is completely confidential, and I will not associate your name with anything you say in this interview. I would like to tape this interview so that I can make sure to capture the thoughts, opinions, and ideas that you share today. The information will be used exclusively to inform this research. You may refuse to answer any question or withdraw from the study at any time, and you will still receive your honorarium.
We understand how important it is that this information is kept private and confidential. We will ask participants to respect each other’s confidentiality as well. If you have any questions now, during or after this focus group please feel free to contact me.
I. Explanation of the process
This focus group will last for a maximum of two hours. There are no wrong or right answers I am here to learn from you. Any questions? Here we go! Turn on recording device.
II. Introduction – Brief introductions
III. Questions:
1. Have you (or your clients) experienced any serious problems or had any interactions with the legal system in the last three to five years?
Probes *(See next two pages for more detail probes for Question 1)
- Purchases or services *
- Work related problem *
- Financial – bank or collection agency *
- Family related – child custody, domestic violence *
- Discrimination – due to disability, race, gender, age, etc.*
- Access to health or medical treatments and/or medical records
- Problems with health practitioners such as doctors, nurses, dentists, denturists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, optometrists, pharmacists and dieticians
- Problems with Home care services or in-home service providers
- Access to prescription medications
- Assistive devices
- Power of attorney problems
- Property: vandalism, property destruction
- Housing – access to housing, social housing, calculation of rent-geared-to-income, arrears, repairs, harassment, discrimination or other housing issues
- Income or social assistance – CPP, OAS, GIS or GAINS problems
- Interruption or termination of driving privileges
- Immigration related
- Interaction with the police
- Interaction with the Public Guardian and Trustee
- Problems with a lawyer, accountant, investment advisor, religious or spiritual advisor, or other professional
If there is more than one problem, go to Question 2.
Question 1: Additional Probes
- Purchases or services
- a large purchase for which you did not receive what you paid for e.g., home, motor vehicle, scooter or major appliances.
- major repairs or renovations for which you did not receive what you paid for e.g., home renovations, repairs done to your motor vehicle or major appliances.
- door-to-door sales where you did not receive what you paid for or that there were hidden conditions in the contract.
- suspicious liens or mortgages against
- not getting what you paid for in a service e.g., a moving company, a health club membership, a vacation package or having your taxes prepared.
- a safety concern with something you bought
- an insurance claim,
- a bill or invoice that was incorrect
- not getting a refund
- Work related problems
- age discrimination in hiring, promotions, hours and dismissals
- not being paid your wages, not being paid for working overtime, not getting vacation pay, severance pay or other wages that you believe were owed to you
- being fired or dismissed from a job
- being refused family-related leave (e.g., caregivingleave), sick leave, or other rights that were part of agreed conditions of work
- a safety issue at your job or workplace
- being subject to disciplinary procedures at work
- Financial – bank or collection agency
- personal bankruptcy
- a collection agency contacting you repeatedly to get you to pay an outstanding bill or debt
- the refusal of credit because of inaccurate information
- a bank or credit union contacting you repeatedly to get you to pay an incorrect charge
- a bank or credit union not accepting power of attorney (POA) documentation OR insisting you create a new power of attorney
- an electricity, gas, or cable company, or any other utility contacting you repeatedly to get you to pay an incorrect charge
- a threat of legal action from an individual, a company or a government agency to collect debt
- misleading or incorrect information that led you to buy insurance, pensions, mortgages or other financial products
- collecting money owed to you (exclude rent or any housing-related money owed) e.g., a loan to a friend or family member
- Family related – elder abuse, financial abuse, domestic violence
- violence or threats of violence from a family member or someone who lives in your household
- someone who lives in your household isolating you or attempting to isolate you from other family members
- someone in your household interfering with your mail, email, phone or other private communications
- someone in your household threatening to bring you to hospital, a long-term care home, a retirement home or another place you don’t want to go
- problems with unwanted visitors or guests who refuse to leave your home when asked to do so
- problems with joint bank accounts with a family member
- problems getting information about your bank accounts, pensions and other financial information
- problems with gifts or loans to family members
- problems with family members taking money, savings or other property that belongs to you
- the division of money or property following a family break-down
- collecting spousal support that you were awarded by the court
- applying for, enforcing, or making changes to a spousal support order
- obtaining or enforcing a restraining or civil protection order in the case of a couple or family break-down
- problems with obtaining guardianship of or caring for a child who is not your own
- Discrimination
- Where did you experience harassment, e.g., in a store, at work, at home, when dealing with health practitioners or police?
- Was the harassment based on any of the following grounds, e.g., race, colour, ethnicity; Indigenous identity; religion; age; sex, gender identity or expression; sexual orientation; marital status; family status; a physical or mental disability; language, etc.?
- Please indicate the nature of the harassment you experienced (e.g., aggressive behaviour, offensive remark, sexual comment or gesture, etc.).
2. Do you think any of your (or your clients) legal problems were connected to one another?
Probe: Which of the problems may have caused or contributed to the other problems that you experienced?
3. Did you (or your clients) think the legal problem was serious?
4. What did you (or your clients) do to try and solve this legal problem?
Probes:
- Did you make a complaint?
- Did you attend court?
- Did you contact a lawyer / community legal clinic?
- Did you contact a social worker?
- Were you aware of supports and resources that were available to you?
- If you didn’t take action, why not?
- If you received legal advice, who did you receive legal advice from?
- If you did not receive advice from a legal professional, why not?
- What approaches did you find helpful?
- What approaches did you find unhelpful?
5. What was the legal outcome? What happened?
Probes:
- How much did legal professionals help?
- What is the current status of the problem?
- Were there any costs associated with the problem?
- Were there any costs associated with finding a solution?
- Was the cost of the solution a problem?
6. What has been the effect of these legal problems on your (or your clients) life?
Probes:
- On your mental/emotional health?
- On your physical health?
- Financially?
- In your relationships?
Thank you so much for coming and sharing your thoughts and opinions with me. If you have additional information that you did not get to say in the focus group, please feel free to contact me and we can arrange a time to speak further.
That concludes this focus group. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about how you identify in terms of your race, disability etc.? This is completely voluntary and again, all information is confidential and will not be attached to your name.
Socio-Demographic Information
- What is your gender?
- Male
- Female
- Other – please specify
- Do you identify as:
- Heterosexual
- Two-spirited
- Lesbian or gay
- Bisexual
- Other – please specify
- Do you identify as Indigenous?
- First Nations
- Métis
- Inuk
- Other (i.e., specific nation)
- Citizenship Status
- Born in Canada
- Born outside Canada (Specify country)
- Landed immigrant
- Permanent Resident
- Canadian Citizen
- Do you identify as:
- White
- South Asian e.g., East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan
- Chinese
- Black
- Filipino
- Arab
- Latin American
- Southeast Asian e.g., Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai
- West Asian e.g., Iranian, Afghan
- Korean
- Japanese
- Other (specify)
- What language(s) do you speak?
- What language do you feel most comfortable speaking in?
- What language do you feel most comfortable reading in?
- What is your household average income?
- Does your income include:
- Employment income
- CPP
- OAS
- GIS
- Private Pension(s)
- Does your income include:
- (Literacy) Do you read newspapers, magazines or books?
- (Numeracy) Do you receive your bank statements? Follow up: do you understand them?
- What is the highest certificate, diploma or degree that you have completed?
- How old were you when you left school?
- Do you have any health issues or conditions?
- Date modified: