Status: Completed
Category(s):
Increasing Independence, Quality of Life, and Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
Lead organization: St. John ACRF
Principal investigator(s): Michel Côté and Michel Tassé
For several years, Francophone seniors in the Greater St. John Region have been overlooked and had access to very few services in their language. These seniors had trouble navigating the system in French and finding what they needed among the services offered. As they aged, they encountered increasing challenges with English and the jargon used to access needed services.
Seniors needed access to community support in French (training, wellness, information, and more), and few services existed in French. From a community perspective, seniors faced increasing isolation due to this language barrier. Francophone seniors fell behind other seniors in the region. They did not have access to tools and training that would have enabled them to increase their resilience (manage their chronic illnesses, reduce their anxiety, prepare for the future, remain active, and socialize in French). This situation was harmful and prevented them from living safely in their homes in good health for as long as they could have otherwise.
By providing these seniors with more knowledge of services that existed in French and with support to find their bearings, we can significantly improve their situation. This would not only reduce the stress and anxiety of aging in a primarily English-speaking region but also enable them to live in a healthier environment for longer.
Francophone community organizations lacked conclusive data on the needs of Francophone seniors, which was a barrier to the future improvement or development of effective and lasting projects.
The community center became a valued hub where seniors could create a Francophone community and access learning opportunities. Through information sessions and social activities, this initiative facilitated community support and personal skill building, while emphasizing the seniors' role in managing their wellbeing and potentially reducing feelings of social isolation. Overall, this type of community centre could help seniors live safely at home for longer by increasing their autonomy and enhancing their quality of life.
The project team recommends that community hubs of this type continue to be offered to Francophone seniors, providing them with opportunities to access training, services, and social activities in the language of their choice. The team also recommends performing a needs assessment beforehand to ensure that the needs of the local seniors will be met.
To learn more read the complete project findings
État du projet: Terminé
Catégorie:
Augmentation de l’autonomie et de la qualité et promotion de modes de vie sains
Organisation responsable : ARCF de Saint-Jean
Chercheuse principale(s) : Michel Côté and Michel Tassé
Depuis plusieurs années les aînés francophones de la Grande région de Saint-Jean sont laissés pour compte et n’ont accès qu’à peu de services dans leur langue dans notre région. De plus, ils ont de la difficulté à naviguer le système en français à se retrouver parmi les services offerts et avec l’âge ils ont de plus en plus de défis avec la langue anglaise et le jargon utilisé pour accéder aux services dont ils ont besoin.
Il est important de souligner que les aînés n’ont pas accès à du support communautaire en français (formations, mieux-être, informations…) et il y a très peu de services offerts en français.
Du côté communautaire, les aînés souffrent d’un isolement accru à cause de la langue.
Les aînés francophones ont un retard comparativement aux autres aînés de la région, ils n’ont pas accès aux outils et formations qui leur permettraient d’augmenter leur résilience (gérer leurs maladies chroniques, réduire leur anxiété, se préparer pour l’avenir, rester actif et socialiser en français) et ceci leur cause préjudice et les empêchent de rester à la maison en santé et sécuritairement aussi longtemps qu’ils le pourraient.
Une meilleure connaissance des services existants en français et de l’accompagnement pour s’y retrouver réduirait le stress/anxiété de vieillir en français dans une région anglophone et leur permettrait de vivre plus en santé plus longtemps.
Les organismes communautaires francophones souffrent pour leur part d’un manque de données probantes sur les besoins des aînés francophones qui empêche l’amélioration future ou le développement de projets forts et efficaces.
