Aging in community: the case of Hesperus village in Vaughan in Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on the evolving notion of aging in community, by presenting findings of a qualitative, descriptive study conducted in Hesperus Village, a unique community for predominantly older adults located in Vaughan in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this exploratory study was to gauge the benefits and challenges of aging in community, and develop conceptualization of the nature and form of attached social relationships and community concerns. Eight semi-structured, in-depth interviews with open-ended questions of residents and a manager were conducted. Findings indicated that aging in this community included a mix of resident co-caring and formal caring practices; that traditional forms of management style are shifting to democratic self-governance practices and that forging links with the wider community is linked to the sharing of resources and inter-generational bartering of services. The implications of aging in community point toward the notion of social responsibility as a potential strategy toward sustainable practices; and that sharing resources with the wider community may have cost-saving implications. This study serves as a call for further research and advocacy in addressing an all-encompassing service delivery model to age in community from birth until death, linking aging in place and dying in place agendas.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging in community
• age-friendly community
• inter-generational
• co-caring practice
• social inclusion

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council through a scholarship grant towards post graduate studies, conducted in 2018 and 2019. This work was made possible through the involvement of residents and management of Hesperus Village. A special acknowledgement to Sybille Hahn who continues in death to inspire the notion of aging in community.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. The word “Hesperus” originates from the Greek word for Venus which is known as the “evening star” and the brightest of all planets.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lauren Kalvari

Lauren Kalvari has been actively involved in front-line social work advocacy, counselling and support of marginalized communities over the last twenty-five years. She has extensive experience in child welfare, intimate partner violence and in the field of mental health. She currently runs a practice that supports individuals, couples and families  dealing with a range of challenging emotional and social situations. She is also actively involved in several community initiatives to uplift the attached social, physical and structural environment of our growing population, most specifically with a focus on older adults and the disabled demographic.  She received a Social Work Honours degree from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. She also received a Sociology Honours degree and a Masters in Social Work degree from York University, Ontario, Canada.