[homeles_ot-l] SWAG meeting, March 29 -- Title: Through Seniors’ Eyes: Age-Friendly Communities and Quality of Life

[Bill Dare]

Reminder next SWAG meeting is Thursday  March 31. 3:30 to 5PM

Colonel By Retirement Residence

43 Aylmer Avenue ( parallel to Sunnyside, near Bank street and the Canal)



*Title:* Through Seniors’ Eyes: Age-Friendly Communities and Quality of
Life



*Presenters:* Kayla Goulet, Sandy Lam; Sabrina Ladak; Beth Stanley; Anna
Tomczak, Masters students in the Health, Science, Technology, & Policy
program, Carleton University



*Supervised by:* Susan Braedley (School of Social Work) and Renate Ysseldyk
(Health Sciences)



*Abstract:* “Through Seniors’ Eyes…” is a graduate thesis project that
inspires intergenerational learning and collaborative community building
within two retirement communities in Ottawa, Ontario. The focus of this
project is to explore the relationships that exist between age-friendly
communities and the quality of life experienced by Canada’s aging
population. Our role, as Master’s students and researchers, was to engage
with our older adult participants and give their stories a voice by
conducting both surveys and focus groups. The reason behind this is, there
is no better storyteller than someone who has lived a lifetime. Having
spent more than a month researching in each retirement home, we were able
to build meaningful relationships with both staff and residents. This time
spent with our newfound friends quickly encompassed us in their daily
lives, with invites to participate in book clubs, knitting circles, and
exercise groups. To optimize the reach of this project, we have connected
with various stakeholders, such as the City of Ottawa and Age-Friendly
Ottawa. This work has provided us with a new perspective, or lens, in which
we perceive our own communities. More importantly, residents were able to
share their stories, and meaningfully contribute to the communities in
which they live. Ultimately, we believe engagement with these, and other,
aging communities, is essential for building sustainable solutions for
age-friendly communities that benefit all. In the words of Jane Jacobs,
“cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only
because, and only when, they are created by everybody”



*Beverlee McIntosh*

*On behalf of SWAG Steering Committee*
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