Identification and engagement of naturally occurring retirement communities to support healthy aging in Canada: A set of methods for replication

Abstract

Background Naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs), unplanned communities with a high proportion of older adult residents, offer a model to support older adults to age well in place. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive description of the methods used to identify and engage NORCs appropriate for the development of supportive service programming in Canada. Methods Three steps were used to identify and select NORCs in which to develop supportive service programming including: 1) identification of potential NORCs using Canadian Census Dissemination Areas, the Ontario Marginalization Index and Google Maps, 2) engagement of property owner/manager to determine the availability of common space for communal programming and willingness of the owner to support programming and, 3) engagement of older adult residents within the NORC to co-design programming. Results Four cities in the south-east, south-central, and south-west of Ontario, Canada were identified to develop NORCs with supportive service programming. Using the methods described, six NORCs were identified, landlords and older adult residents were engaged, and programs initiated between April 2018 and March 2019. The sites included two private high-rise apartments, a city-owned low-rise subsidized apartment complex, two multi-building private high-rise complexes and a mobile home community. An average of 35 (min 20, max 78) older adult members were engaged in an average of 20.5 unique activity sessions at each site per month. On average, social (54%) and physical activities (30%) were more common than nutritional (10%) and knowledge-sharing (8%). Conclusions The increased prevalence of unplanned, geographically-bound NORCs creates an opportunity for governments, social and health service providers and policy makers to support healthy aging in their communities. Our experience with the creation of six new NORCs with supportive service programming provides a tested set of methods that can be applied in other communities.

Where Will Older Adults Reside: Understanding the Distribution of Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities in Australia

“…Maricruz Rivera-Hernandez et al found that despite a significant increase in the percentage of older homeowners and renters, the number of NORCs slightly declined over the ten-year period, confirming the existence of different patterns of NORC emergence, disappearance, and persistence [8]. Likewise, in Canada, Vincent G. DePaul developed and mapped out Dissemination Areas (DAs), choosing four cities to establish NORCs that include supportive service programs [13]. Conversely, this research employs census data to analyze the distribution of NORCs across Australia.…”

“…Based on census data from 2000 to 2010, maps were created and analyzed using U.S. census tracts, with each tract representing approximately 4000 residents (ranging from 1200 to 8000) [8]. Due to differences in census unit sizes across countries, Vincent G. DePaul et al in Canada used Dissemination Areas (DAs) as the unit of analysis, with each area comprising 400 to 700 individuals [13]. The smaller clusters allow for more precise identification of NORCs.…”

Research Status and Trends in Retirement Communities: A bibliometric Analysis

“…The study suggested that NORC-SSPs have the potential to be an alternative model for supporting aging in place. DePaul, et al (2022) Created six NORC and supportive services programs in Ontario, Canada, to draw lessons and approaches that can be replicated in other communities.…”

Presencia y engagement en instagram de las ONG de personas mayores en España

“…Las necesidades de los mayores son muy amplias: afectivas, sanitarias, de acompañamiento o de entretenimiento entre otras (DePaul et al, 2022). Esto hace que las personas objeto de la comunicación de las ONG especializadas en personas mayores sea muy amplia (Plataforma del Voluntariado de España, 2020).…”