Grant: Project Grant

Seniors are the fastest growing age group in Canada. By 2041, older adults will represent an estimated 25% of the population. The vast majority (>92%) of older adults live in the community and want to continue to live at home and independently for as long as possible. Unfortunately older adults are also at risk of becoming socially isolated and experience loneliness as they age. Inadequate nutrition, difficulty with mobility and decreased physical activity can also lead to poor overall health. The Oasis Seniors Supportive Living (Oasis) Program is a low-cost seniors-driven program aimed at supporting older adults who live in naturally occurring retirement communities such as an apartment building. The three core elements of the Oasis Program are social engagement, physical activity, and nutrition. An Onsite Oasis Coordinator facilitates activities and programs that address the self-identified needs and wants of the members, including connecting them to existing services in their community. Since April 2018, our research group has partnered with older adults and landlords in four cities in Ontario to develop seven Oasis Communities. The aim of this project is to understand how the Oasis Program promotes healthy aging in older adults living in these naturally occurring retirement communities. We will monitor the health of Oasis community members over four years. We will also measure the impact of this program on use of health care services, such as hospitalizations and transitions to long term care. Finally, we will hold focus group discussions with the participants over the 4 years to help us understand the strengths and limitations of the Oasis program, and how these communities develop and evolve over time. Throughout the entire project, we will be comparing these seven Oasis Communities to seven matched, non-Oasis communities. This project will inform aging-in-place strategies across the country and internationally.