Seven Elements for Successful Community Engagement in the Care of Older Adults

Program overview :

Improving care and support for older adults with diverse health and social needs starts with meaningful engagement. Aligned with HEC’s commitment to amplifying the voices of patients, caregivers, and communities, the Seven Elements for Successful Community Engagement in the Care of Older Adults provides practical guidance drawn from real-world examples in Canada and globally. It helps health professionals, community organizations and older adults work together to build sustainable programs that support older adults in aging safely and independently.

Download the resource (PDF 532 KB)

Why it matters

When communities help shape programs, those programs become stronger, more effective and more sustainable. Meaningful engagement ensures programs and services reflect the diverse health and social needs of older adults, helping them age safely and independently in the places they call home.

By removing barriers that make it difficult for communities to participate—whether it’s lack of access, limited resources or systemic challenges—we can create more inclusive solutions. When people have the right tools, information and opportunities to contribute, they can take an active role in improving care and support with and for older adults.

Building trust and working together is key to making a real lasting difference. By fostering collaboration between organizations, care providers and older adults and their communities, we can create programs that don’t just meet today’s needs but continue to evolve and grow for the future.

Who is this resource for

• Health and social service professionals – including long-term care administrators, community health workers and policy makers – can use this resource to improve how they engage with older adults and build stronger connections.
• Community organizations and groups, such as nonprofits, senior centres and grassroots initiatives, can apply these strategies to enhance their programs and partnerships.
• Older adults, caregivers and community leaders, including resident councils and individuals, can use this resource to advocate for better engagement practices that reflect their needs and experiences.

About the project

To understand how the engagement of community can support the care of older adults and aging in place initiatives, HEC commissioned Fraser Health Authority’s Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Research Unit to explore literature and leading practices. This work resulted in the development of a Rapid Meta Narrative Review, and four case studies showcasing successful aging-in-place initiatives from Canada and beyond.

By identifying common themes across these four case studies, the Seven Elements for Successful Community Engagement in the Care of Older Adults resource was developed, highlighting effective approaches for engaging older adults and improving care.

Designed to be practical and adaptable, this resource provides tips to help organizations and communities put these strategies into action in ways that meet their unique needs.

Four real-world case studies on successful community engagement

The Fraser Health Authority’s Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Research Unit identified three case studies from Canada and one from Denmark as innovative and distinct examples of engaging older adults and supporting aging in place. These case studies highlight effective, proven approaches to building strong, lasting partnerships between older adults and organizations.

Explore these real-life examples of the Seven Elements for Successful Community Engagement in the Care of Older Adults in action. Discover how different strategies bring these elements to life, support aging in place and inspire new possibilities for your community.

Four case studies on successful community engagement

• Nursing Homes Without Walls (NHWW), New Brunswick
  A community-driven model integrating local services and networks to support older adults in staying connected and independent.
• Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORC), Toronto
  A collaborative initiative designed to help older adults age in place within urban settings by bringing services directly to where they live.
• Better at Home, United Way BC
  A province-wide program offering tailored, non-medical support to help seniors remain in their homes and communities longer.
• Sammen om Rødovre (Together with Older Citizens), Denmark
  A community-led approach focused on inclusive and equity-based partnerships to enhance aging in place.

Dig deeper into the evidence

Beyond the strategies revealed in the four case studies, the project team recognized the value of a broader exploration of literature across various fields to understand what drives successful community engagement in older adult care.

To support this, Fraser Health Authority’s Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Research Group conducted a Rapid Meta-Narrative Review, resulting in a comprehensive report on fostering successful community engagement in older adult care. This work brings together insights from different fields and provides helpful tools, key principles, and real-life examples to support you in starting, improving, or maintaining engagement initiatives with older adults.

Explore the Review’s executive summary or read the full report to discover evidence around topics including:

• Guiding principles of community engagement
• Different approaches and phases of your community engagement journey
• Practical methods, tools, and resources for engaging with community

Contributors

Janice Sorensen, Ian Fyffe, Sherin Jamal, Kirsten Rossiter, Leah Coppella, Benajir Shams, Paulina Santaella, Simran Dhadda, Catherine Youngren, Karim Chagani, Satinder Jassal, Annette Berndt and Sultan Akba

Carol Fancott, Miranda Saroli and Adrienne Zarem

Suzanne Dupuis, Shoshana Hahn-Goldberg, Lisa Meschino, Bobbi Symes, Beverley Pitman, Marcy Cohen, Laura Kadowaki, Annie Arnoldsen Petersen and Lotte Kragh.

Related programs:

Related resources: