About Our Research Cluster

By 2050, 2 billion people are expected to be 60 years or older

  • # of Seniors who would prefer to Age in Place 83% 83%
  • # of Canadians 65+ years old by 2024 20% 20%
  • Adults 85+ living in care facilities 33% 33%
  • % of Canadian COVID-19 deaths in care facilities 81% 81%
  • Canadians aged 61-70 have at least 1 chronic condition 70% 70%
The World Health Organization (WHO) identified “aging well” as a number one global priority and challenge. A primary aspect of “aging well”, aging in place involves remaining in one’s home of choice, safely and comfortably, regardless of age. A 2013 survey found that, given the option, 83% of Canadians would prefer to age in place – keep living at home and pay for supports as needed, rather than in an assisted-living facility. Yet, there is little research on how to make aging in place possible for more older adults.

The objective of Aging in Place Research Cluster is to support the needs and choice of older women and men to age in place through high quality, inter-disciplinary research for the development of in-home supportive technologies aimed at maintaining active living, functional independence and social/emotional health. We will be the first multidisciplinary research team focused specifically on in-home self-management for aging in place research internationally.

The world’s older population is growing at an unprecedented rate. By 2050, 2 billion people are expected to be 60 years or older. In 2015 the number of persons aged 65 years and older exceeded the number of children 0-14 years. Canada is considered one of the 13 super-aging countries. Over 1/3 of older adults aged 85+ are living in senior care facilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to address the health and safety of our older adults. Indeed, older adults are more vulnerable to COVID-19, with older adults in care facilities being among the most vulnerable. In Canada 81% of COVID-19 deaths, thus far are in care facilities, globally the average is 42%.

Mobility and balance problems, and recent hospitalization are among the top precipitating factors leading to a move to care facilities. Experiences during the pandemic have underscored the need to reimagine the way we support older adults, and the value of remaining in one’s home…

To enable this, older adults need adequate physical, social and assistive technologies to support aging in place.

Aging is profoundly heterogeneous and as such the focus of our research cluster is to engage in patient-oriented participatory research that is comprehensive of healthy and frail, and men and women of diverse race, culture and backgrounds, inclusive of Indigenous adults aiming to remain in their community.

More About our Research

WHY UBCO?

Meet Our Team

UBCO is positioned to be a leader in aging research. Kelowna is the ideal location for a research cluster dedicated to aging in place to be situated. Kelowna leads the way in interprovincial migration and the largest cohort of persons in Kelowna are adults >65yrs old. Older adults, next to faculty and staff, are the largest cohort of attendees at campus events.

Engagement of older adults is embedded across research and community outreach. Yet, older adults are marginalized in research, at a time when health and social inequities experienced by them demand our attention. This is an opportune time to formalize independent programs of research to mobilize initiatives into a cohesive, and integrative research cluster with the focal point being older adults.