Keeping isolation and loneliness at bay: how community centres can support belonging as we age

ABSTRACT

Experiencing a sense of belonging is helpful for warding off loneliness and social isolation. With social isolation and loneliness among older adults increasingly recognized as a societal concern, it is important to understand the conditions that enhance belonging. The purpose of this paper is to share findings of a study that examined the role of a community centre in contributing to belonging for older adults. Forty-nine community centre members participated in a focus group or individual interview that explored their personal meanings and experiences of belonging. Findings suggest the community centre supports belonging by creating a welcoming environment, offering opportunities for meaningful involvement, and offering leisure programmes and services that meet diverse needs and interests. This paper responds to calls for research highlighting the benefits of community centres for older adults by suggesting their prospective benefit lies in their efforts to become spaces of belonging.

Résumé

Le sentiment d’appartenance est utile pour lutter contre la solitude et l’isolement social. L’isolement social et la solitude chez les aînés étant de plus en plus reconnus comme un problème de société, il est important de comprendre les conditions qui favorisent le sentiment d’appartenance. L’objectif de cet article est de partager les résultats d’une étude qui a examiné le rôle d’un centre communautaire dans la contribution au sentiment d’appartenance des aînés. Quarante-neuf membres du centre communautaire ont participé à un groupe de discussion ou à un entretien individuel visant à explorer leurs significations et expériences personnelles de l’appartenance. Les résultats suggèrent que le centre communautaire favorise l’appartenance en créant un environnement accueillant, en offrant des possibilités de participation significative et en proposant des programmes et des services de loisirs qui répondent à des besoins et à des intérêts divers. Cet article répond aux appels à la recherche soulignant les avantages des centres communautaires pour les aînés en suggérant que leur avantage potentiel réside dans leurs efforts pour devenir des espaces d’appartenance.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging
• belonging
• community centres
• leisure

MOTS-CLÉS:

• vieillissement 
• appartenance
• centres communautaires
• loisirs
• aînés
• centres pour personnes âgées

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge members of the community centre who took the time to share their insights and experiences with us. It was a pleasure to meet and speak with each of you.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [892-2018-2041].