Full Circle Project and Health-Related Quality of Life: Measuring What matters to Older People

Food insecurity and social isolation are both recognized as challenges facing many older adults in Montreal. While several nonprofit organizations have created programs to alleviate this situation, it is often difficult to “measure” a program’s effectiveness. This postdoctoral position will assess a series of community-based programs that are part of The Full Circle: Healthy Living for Empowered Aging Project. Launched by New Hope for Senior Citizens Centre in 2024, Full Circle has four interrelated programs: inter-generational gardening, community lunches, organic food baskets and meals-on-wheels, all using produce grown by its members in collaboration with students from Concordia University. Using Full Circle as a case study, this research will conduct an in-depth examination of what makes each program effective. By deploying an innovative methodology, the “Health-Related Quality of Life: Older People for Active Living” (HRQL-OPAL) tool, this postdoctoral research project will compare the potential benefits of these programs for participants. Do the programs contribute to changing food habits? Do they enhance participants’ social engagement? Which of these programs is having what impact on the lives of participants? In addition, the Postdoctoral research will assess the usefulness of this new research tool by deploying it in an actual situation, reflecting on both the qualitative and quantitative insights it yields on how older adults understand “active living”.

Faculty Supervisor:

Kim Sawchuk

Student:

Partner:

New Hope Senior Citizens’ Centre

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Concordia University

Program: