Abstract
Background
Most older adults want to age in place, in their homes and communities. However, this can be challenging for many, frequently owing to lack of supports that allow for aging in place. Naturally occurring retirement community supportive services programs (NORC-SSPs) offer an approach to help older adults age in place. Although qualitative studies have examined the experiences of NORC-SSP participants, little is known about how participation in NORC-SSP programming affects participants’ social networks.
Objective
This study aimed to explore the experiences of 13 NORC-SSP residents who participated in Oasis Senior Supportive Living (Oasis) and how participating in NORC-SSP programming, specifically based on the Oasis model, influenced their social networks.
Methods
Participants were recruited, using convenience sampling, from 4 naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) in Ontario, Canada. All participants (13/13, 100%) had participated in Oasis programming. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with participants. Social network theory informed the interview guide and thematic analysis.
Results
In total, 13 participants (n=12, 92% women and n=1, 8% men) were interviewed. These participants were from 4 different NORCs where Oasis had been implemented, comprising 2 midrise apartment buildings, 1 low-rise apartment building, and 1 mobile home community. Overall, 3 main themes were identified from the interviews with Oasis participants: expansion and deepening of social networks, Oasis activities (something to do, someone to do it with), and self-reported impact of Oasis on mental health and well-being (feeling and coping with life better). Participants noted that Oasis provided them with opportunities to meet new people and broaden their social networks, both within and outside their NORCs. They also indicated that Oasis provided them with meaningful ways to spend their time, including opportunities to socialize and try new activities. Participants stated that participating in Oasis helped to alleviate loneliness and improved their quality of life. They noted that Oasis provided them with a reason to get up in the morning. However, the experiences described by participants may not be reflective of all Oasis members. Those who had positive experiences may have been more likely to agree to be interviewed.
Conclusions
On the basis of the participants’ interviews, Oasis is an effective aging-in-place model that has been successfully implemented in low-rise apartment buildings, midrise apartment buildings, and mobile home communities. Participating in Oasis allowed participants to expand their social networks and improve their mental health and well-being. Therefore, NORCs may offer an ideal opportunity to build strong communities that provide deep, meaningful social connections that expand social networks. NORC-SSPs, such as Oasis, can support healthy aging and allow older adults to age in place.
Subject
Geriatrics and Gerontology,Health Informatics,Gerontology,Health (social science)
Reference37 articles.
1. Population Projections for Canada (2018 to 2068), Provinces and Territories (2018 to 2043)Government of Canada201909172022-09-09Statistics Canadahttps://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/91-520-x/91-520-x2019001-eng.htm
2. NIA Policy Series 2019 ConsultationNational Institute on Ageing20192022-09-09https://www.nia-ryerson.ca/nia-policy-series-2019-consultation
3. Thinking about Your Future: Plan Now to Age in PlaceForum of Federal/Provincial/Territorial (F/P/T) Ministers Responsible for Seniors20152022-01-24https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/canada/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors/forum/aging-checklist/aging-checklist-seniors-EN.pdf
4. The Epidemiology of Social Isolation: National Health and Aging Trends Study
Cited by
1 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献