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Mills C, Parniak S, Hand C, McGrath C, Laliberte Rudman D, Chislett C, Giberson M, White L, DePaul V, Donnelly C
The Impact of a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Supportive Services Program on Older Adult Participants’ Social Networks: Semistructured Interview Study
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
The impact of a naturally occurring retirement community supportive services program on older adult participants’ social networks: a qualitative study
Christine Mills;
Simone Parniak;
Carri Hand;
Colleen McGrath;
Debbie Laliberte Rudman;
Cassandra Chislett;
Mariah Giberson;
Lauren White;
Vincent DePaul;
Catherine Donnelly
ABSTRACT
Background:
The majority of older adults want to age in place, in their homes and communities. However, this can be challenging for many, frequently due to a lack of supports that allow for aging-in-place. Naturally occurring retirement community supportive services programs (NORC-SSPs) offer one approach to help older adults age in place. While qualitative studies have examined the experiences of NORC-SSP participants, little is known how participation in NORC-SSP programming affects participants’ social networks.
Objective:
This study aims to explore the experiences of thirteen NORC-SSP residents and how participating in NORC-SSP programming, specifically based on the Oasis model, influenced their social networks.
Methods:
Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with participants in four NORC communities in Ontario, Canada. Social network theory informed the interview guide and thematic analysis.
Results:
Three 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 the self-reported impact of Oasis on mental health and well-being (feeling and coping with life better).
Conclusions:
Naturally occurring retirement communities offer an ideal opportunity to build strong communities that provide deep, meaningful social connections that expand their social networks. NORC-SSPS programs can support healthy aging and allow older adults to age-in-place.
Citation
Please cite as:
Mills C, Parniak S, Hand C, McGrath C, Laliberte Rudman D, Chislett C, Giberson M, White L, DePaul V, Donnelly C
The Impact of a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community Supportive Services Program on Older Adult Participants’ Social Networks: Semistructured Interview Study