Aging Well
Exploring innovative, grassroots models of senior supportive living.
BACKGROUND
Ontario has an aging population that will require some form of supportive living to get by. Currently, Ontarians aged 65 years and older represent 14.6 per cent of the province’s overall population. That number is expected to double over the next two decades as the boomer generation comes of age.
Publicly-funded supportive living options tend to fall short in addressing the social determinants that allow seniors to remain vibrant: agency, self-determination, and social connection. There is an opportunity to amalgamate the learnings from new models that are successfully incorporating the social and emotional needs of seniors, so that Ontarians may have more supportive living options in the future.
Though old age is something that awaits everyone lucky enough to live a long life, the actual experience of aging in Canada is typified by a sense of loneliness and isolation. This can lead to poor physical and mental health.
PROJECT
The goal of this OTF SEED research grant is to look for similar, grassroots models t
hat are emerging across Canada to understand common principles and strategies for success, and to bring their experience into mainstream discourse on age and society. Particular emphasis will be placed on identifying and documenting models that empower seniors as decision-makers, enable community building, and combat age-related social isolation.
The project involves identifying and selecting similar models to study. We will then visit the selected sites to develop a deep understanding of how they work. In addition to traditional qualitative research, emphasis will be placed on translating new knowledge into products that can be widely shared. Knowledge products may include audio documentaries, photo essays and written features about seniors’ personal experiences. These multimedia assets will be used to run a series of workshops to discuss the implications of the findings, and placed online as a resource, as a way to connect scattered groups, share ideas, and inspire future planning.