Community Health Commons^™

Exploring The Relationship Between Creative Programming And Mental/Emotional Outcomes With Older Adults In Ontario, Julia Baigerie

Capstone Research Posters

This qualitative research project examines the relationship between creative programming and mental and emotional outcomes in order to substantiate the hypothesis that there are benefits to creative programming in Long Term care and community centres on social and emotional levels when implemented on older adults in Ontario. Thirteen participants who worked with older adults in various long-term care and community settings were recruited to participate in an online survey. Participants shared that the value in creative programming in terms of positive socialization processes; and displays of positive mental health in older adults participating in creative programming. The unique contribution of …

Crochet Connections: An Intergenerational Fibre Craft Project, Karen Lints, Ferzana Chaze, Kate Dupuis

Crochet Connections: An Intergenerational Fiber Craft Project

Crochet Connections: An Intergenerational Fibre Craft Project was a research study that brought together Sheridan students and older adults from the community to participate in a crochet group. The research team examined whether an intergenerational group, organized as an activity-based program, could positively benefit participant well-being. This report outlines results from an eight-week crochet program implemented in Fall 2022 at Sheridan College’s Davis Campus in Brampton, Ontario. As an outcome of the crochet group, seven handmade blankest were donated to charity. The study was approved by Sheridan’s Research Ethics Board and funded by a 2022 Sheridan Generator Growth Grant.

Crafting Well-Being: A Scoping Review Of The Benefits Of Participation In Fibre Craft Communities And Implications For Activities For Older Adults, Ferzana Chaze, Karen Lints, Kimberley Anderson

Publications and Scholarship

The COVID-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the need for positive mental health and well-being as communities at large, and older adults in particular, struggle to cope with social isolation, loneliness, stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. At the same time, there has been a resurgence of interest in traditional home-based crafts that are both compatible with social distancing requirements, yet fulfill one’s passion for fibre craft. This paper reviews the literature to understand the ways in which participation in fibre craft communities, organized as informal or formal collectives of people, contributed to their well-being. Nineteen articles that met the inclusion criteria …

Service Provider Perspectives On Exploring Social Determinants Of Health Impacting Type 2 Diabetes Management For South Asian Adults In Peel Region, Canada, Chelsea D’Silva, Nuzha Hafleen, Elizabeth Mansfield, Sara Martel, Dianne Fierheller, Ananya Banerjee, Gurpreet Malhotra, Baldev Mutta, Puneet Dhillon, Zofishan Hasan, Amish Parikh, Amish Parikh, Reza Yousefi Nooraie, Ferzana Chaze, Ian Zenlea

Publications and Scholarship

Background

Individuals from South Asian communities are known to have a higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) which is often attributed to individual lifestyle and behavioral factors. This focus on individual responsibility can position communities as complicit in their illness, compounding stigmatization and systemic discrimination. This manuscript explores the social determinants of health (SDOH) that influence health behaviors among South Asian adults with T2D from a service provider perspective.

Methods

Using a qualitative descriptive design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 community, social, and healthcare service providers. We used thematic analysis and the analytical concept of intersectionality to …

Building Connected Communities: Improving Supports To Reduce Loneliness And Social Isolation In Immigrants 65+, Sirena Liladrie, Thomas Howe, Laura Yang

Generator at Sheridan

The Centre for Elder Research launched a three-year study in 2015 to create strategies to more effectively serve immigrants age 65+ who are at risk of experiencing social isolation and/or loneliness. The presentation will focus on the key outcomes of the study and showcase community asset mapping