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Congratulations to our Winners of the SSHRC insight Grant Competition
Congratulations to Dr.Amanda Grenier (PI), Dr.Tamara Sussman (McGill, CREGES), Dr.David Rothwell (McGill) and Dr.Jean-Pierre Lavoie (CREGES) on their recent SSHRC Insight Grant entitled "Homelessness in late life: growing old on the streets, in shelters and long-term care" (2012-2015; $169,060)
Amanda Grenier, Amanda Grenier, Associate Professor in the department of Health, Aging & Society & Director of the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging
Project description:
The challenges of an ageing society are widely recognized on a global
level. However, with the majority of planning initiatives focused on
'healthy aging', 'aging in place' or pension policy, subgroups of older
people whose experiences fall outside these frameworks are often
overlooked. Such is the case for older homeless people, whose life
course trajectories differ from standard expectations as a result of
mental health issues, long-term under or unemployment, and/or strained
family relationships. Although homeless strategies and initiatives are
being developed in Canada, there is a tendency for these initiatives to
target youth or working-age populations, resulting in knowledge and
service gaps with regards to homelessness in late life.
This three-year research project explores the intersecting challenges of
ageing and homelessness in an urban context, a large shelter and
long-term care facilities. We are concerned with the experiences of
homelessness in relation to late life transitions, including impairment;
long term care policy, marginalisation, and social exclusion; social
care practices in sheltered housing; and poverty/economic inequality.
Investigative methods include the analysis of homeless initiatives;
administrative data; site observations; and interviews with older people
and community services. Data from this project will provide insights on
the experiences that occur at the intersection of aging and
homelessness; outline the barriers that exist for older people 'aging on
the streets'; and broaden existing understandings of aging, and
homelessness within scholarly research and social programming.
For more information, please contact Dr.Grenier at grenier@mcmaster.ca
