“People want to stay and age in their rural communities”

UNBC researchers talk collaboration with local seniors

By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG

Researchers from the University of Northern B.C. paid Valemount a visit last week to discuss how northern B.C. seniors could be better included in future research. Over the course of a three-hour workshop, held at the Valemount Public Library, local seniors and researchers talked about access to long-term care, combating isolation, and the sense of community among Valemount seniors.

The workshop was just one of several which researchers are organizing across northern B.C. this spring, said principal investigator Shannon Freeman. The workshops are a way to discuss forming an older adult research advisory group which could guide future research, she said.

“We try to take a positive, empowering perspective on what we do. Our work is done in partnership [with communities],” Freeman said. “When you partner, your partners [are] more likely to uptake, implement and sustain the different interventions and projects that we collaborate on together.”

Freeman is also the Academic Director of the Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN), a group that researches technology meant to improve the well-being of northern seniors. The group is a collaboration between UNBC, Northern Health, and the research organization AGE-WELL, and frequently partners with northern and rural communities, according to Freeman.

“We co-develop our projects in partnership with communities and individuals… so that the research we do and the impact we have makes a meaningful difference in the lives of persons who are aging – whether they’re still healthy and well in the community, receiving home care support, or receiving long-term care, acute care or end-of-life support,” Freeman said.

Research managers Emma Rossnagel and Matt Sargent agreed.

“People do research with older adults in bigger metropolitan centres and bigger universities, but it’s fairly new in northern B.C.,” Sargent said, adding that including rural seniors in research makes it easier to generalize aging studies to broad groups, instead of just urban seniors.

Attendees appreciated the opportunity to talk about their needs and challenges. Local Michel Ball said he hoped the workshop would provide insight on how the research group could support Robson Valley seniors.

“I wanted to be a small part of the solution and help out with research,” Ball said. “We can help with finding out what people require, and what they actually need.”

Likewise, Valemount-based Judy Holmin said she saw the workshop as a way to find solutions for seniors who have less help around the house.

“I can hire help, or have [my] family help, but not everyone has that,” Holmin said. “I’d like to find ways for others to not have trouble getting help.”

That ability to support rural seniors’ needs is one of the goals of the workshops, said Freeman.

“We want to connect with older adults across all of our northern communities to hear what their experiences are, to learn from them and learn with them in partnership,” Freeman said.

She added that while different communities have many needs in common, each community and each individual has their own unique challenges and perspectives – having face-to-face conversations helps researchers determine how to support seniors on a community-by-community basis.

“People want to stay and age in their rural communities,” Freeman said. “What we’re really trying to fill is that gap – that access gap, that education gap, that availability gap – to make things more accessible, so people can access the right care and supports at the right time and place for them.”

Additionally, building connections in northern communities helps CTAAN share technology for older adults, said Freeman and Sargent. These technologies range from smartphone platforms that measure vital signs, to indoor gardening activities, to tablets which seniors and their families can use to stay connected. All of these technologies, plus over a dozen more, are available for examination at CTAAN’s AgeTech Lab on the UNBC campus, said Sargent.

To that end, the group is already gearing up for its next study, which will look at the impact of remote monitoring on seniors and caretakers, said Rossnagel. The year-long study will provide participants with a monitoring device for free, which can track anything from resting heart rate to a person’s movement and even provide information on whether they forgot to close the fridge, according to Rossnagel. People who are interested in participating can contact researchers at [email protected], she said.

At the heart of their work is a commitment to enhancing rural seniors’ lives by complementing and supporting the resources communities already have in place, Freeman emphasized.

“When we hear about rural and northern communities, often we hear about the challenges and deficits that they face. But they have a lot of strengths and resilience,” she said. “Our work looks at how we can leverage those positives and that community resilience to [empower] people to live well.”

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Judy Holmin was based in McBride. In fact, she lives in Valemount. The Goat regrets this error.