Addressing determinants of senior well-being and reducing social isolation

New Brunswick has a high proportion of adults over 65 facing financial struggles, food insecurity, and social isolation, highlighting the need to address these social determinants of health. This project's purpose was to develop and demonstrate an applied learning model involving New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) students and seniors living at home or in community settings like nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The project's ultimate goals were to provide NBCC students with experiential learning in the health sector and to improve the emotional and social well-being of seniors. NBCC instructors and students from multiple disciplines participated in 7 different projects, including free tax clinics, a virtual vacation in a chair, raised garden beds, and a tea and technology session. Projects were delivered across various communities within the province, including Woodstock, Fredericton, St. Andrews, Saint John, Moncton, and Miramichi. The project involved over 240 NBCC students enrolled in a variety of programs, including information technology, business, carpentry, and practical nursing. 214 older adults participated in the projects, and 52 seniors completed surveys before and after participating in the student-led projects. These surveys were used to assess the impact of student-led applied research projects on senior’s well-being.

• The student-led experiential learning projects did not significantly reduce seniors’ stress related to social determinants of health.
  • This finding can perhaps be explained by the fact that the seniors who were surveyed reported low stress levels prior to participating in the project. It is also possible that participants in this sample were more financially well-off, or perhaps delays between program participation and the post-test survey impacted seniors' responses about their experience.
• These projects offer valuable social interaction for seniors and opportunities to connect with the younger generation and share their wisdom.
• Promising partnerships have been initiated with the City of Fredericton to update the Seniors Directory, as well as Stepping Stones Senior Center to continue some of the student-led projects.

• Collect Demographic Information: Ensure future projects collect detailed demographic information to better understand the background of participating seniors.
• Broaden Recruitment: Continue to recruit from a wide range of settings to maintain a representative sample while ensuring inclusion of socioeconomically disadvantaged seniors.
• Enhance Project Evaluation: Implement more robust evaluation methods to capture the full benefits of the projects to both students and seniors.
• Expand Student-Senior Engagement: Expand research projects to further develop students' skills and interest in careers working with seniors.

To learn more read the complete project findings (PDF 133 KB)