The Inclusive Communities for Older Immigrants (ICOI) partnership is a multidisciplinary, multi-sector, multi-province project that has built sustainable connections to generate knowledge about social isolation and connectedness among older immigrants, support multidirectional knowledge exchange, and improve the lives of older immigrants.
The partnership is informed by complementary theoretical approaches and focuses on interconnected research streams of social, economic, political, and geo-spatial inclusion.
We are using critical ethnography and mixed methods to carry out the project in four phases:
1) Déterminer les facteurs sociaux, économiques et politiques essentiels qui contribuent à l’isolement social et à la connexité sociale chez les immigrants âgés;
2) Cerner et examiner les interventions utilisées pour favoriser la connexité sociale;
3) co-design multi-level, multi-component interventions to promote social connectedness among older adults in three communities (Mandarin, Punjabi and Arabic-speaking immigrants) and build community capacity via implementation with community partners; and
4) Évaluer la faisabilité et la fidélité de la mise en œuvre et de l’efficacité des interventions.
In Phase 1, an extensive review of the literature was conducted and about 35 determinants of social isolation in older immigrants have been identified.
A survey among community partners and older immigrants to examine the relevance of these factors in the Canadian context have been conducted.
We are currently engaging in qualitative interviews with older immigrants to explore their perspectives on these factors.
For Phase 2, we are exploring social isolation and predictors of change, and we have already conducted a literature search and review to identify evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting social connectedness. We have already presented our preliminary results at two summits attended by academic and community partners and are in the process of disseminating our results in other formats such as academic articles, and presentations at conferences.
Read about year 2 activities here