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Being and Doing Together in a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community: Pandemic Experiences of Older Adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2024

Kassandra Fernandes Open the ORCID record for Kassandra Fernandes [Opens in a new window] ,
Carri Hand Open the ORCID record for Carri Hand [Opens in a new window] ,
Debbie Laliberte Rudman Open the ORCID record for Debbie Laliberte Rudman [Opens in a new window] ,
Colleen McGrath ,
Helen C. Cooper ,
Catherine Donnelly Open the ORCID record for Catherine Donnelly [Opens in a new window] ,
Vincent G. DePaul Open the ORCID record for Vincent G. DePaul [Opens in a new window] ,
Lori Letts Open the ORCID record for Lori Letts [Opens in a new window]  and
Julie Richardson Open the ORCID record for Julie Richardson [Opens in a new window]
Kassandra Fernandes*
Affiliation:
Graduate Program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 1H1, Canada
Carri Hand
Affiliation:
School of Occupational Therapy & Graduate Program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 1H1, Canada
Debbie Laliberte Rudman
Affiliation:
School of Occupational Therapy & Graduate Program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 1H1, Canada
Colleen McGrath
Affiliation:
School of Occupational Therapy & Graduate Program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 1H1, Canada
Helen C. Cooper
Affiliation:
Oasis Senior Supportive Services Inc., Kingston, ON, Canada
Catherine Donnelly
Affiliation:
School of Rehabilitation Therapy & Health Services and Policy Research Institute, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Vincent G. DePaul
Affiliation:
School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Lori Letts
Affiliation:
Occupational Therapy Program & School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
Julie Richardson
Affiliation:
Physiotherapy Program & School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
*
Corresponding author: La correspondance et les demandes de tirésàpart doivent être adressées à : / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Kassandra Fernandes, Graduate Program in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University, London, ON N6G 1H1, Canada (kferna29@uwo.ca).
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Abstract

Developing effective, sustainable strategies that promote social inclusion, reduce isolation, and support older adults’ wellbeing continues to be important to aging communities in Canada. One strategy that targets community-living older adults involves identifying naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) and supporting them through supportive service programs (NORC-SSPs). This qualitative descriptive study utilized semi-structured interviews to explore how older adults living in a NORC supported by an SSP, sought to build, and maintain, a sense of community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis revealed how changes in context prompted changes in the program and community, and how despite lack of in-person opportunities participants continued to be together and do occupations together in creative ways that supported their sense of community. NORC-SSPs, like Oasis, play an important role in supporting older adults’ capacity to build strong, resilient communities that support wellbeing, during a global pandemic and in non-pandemic times.

Résumé

Résumé

La conception de stratégies efficaces et durables visant à promouvoir l’inclusion sociale des personnes âgées, à réduire leur isolement et à soutenir leur bien-être continue d’être un enjeu important pour les communautés de personnes âgées au Canada. Une de ces stratégies concerne les personnes âgées vivant à domicile et consiste à recenser les communautés naturelles de retraités (NORCs) et à les aider grâce à des programmes de services de soutien. Cette étude qualitative descriptive s’est basée sur des entretiens semi-structurés pour explorer comment des personnes âgées membres d’une communauté naturelle de retraités bénéficiant de programmes de services de soutien ont cherché à développer et à entretenir un sentiment d’appartenance pendant la pandémie de COVID-19. L’analyse a révélé comment les changements de contexte ont suscité des changements dans les programmes et dans la communauté, et comment malgré l’impossibilité de participer à des activités en personne, les membres de la communauté ont trouvé des moyens de se réunir et de pratiquer ensemble des activités créatives qui ont renforcé leur sentiment d’appartenance. Les programmes de services de soutien aux communautés naturelles de retraités, comme Oasis, jouent un rôle important pour entretenir la capacité des personnes âgées de bâtir des communautés fortes et résilientes, qui favorisent le bien-être, tant en période de pandémie mondiale qu’en temps normal.

Keywords

agingNORCsense of communitycollective occupationbelongingsocial connectionvieillissementNORCcommunauté naturelle de retraitésactivité collectiveappartenancelien social
Type
Article
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , First View , pp. 1 - 11
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Copyright
© Canadian Association on Gerontology 2024

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