Aging Well in Haliburton County: The Personal Experience

Aging Well in Haliburton County: The Personal Experience

Kiley, Robert

Aging-Well Committee
Host contact: Reid, Heather

Struthers, Jim
Department: Canadian Studies

TP-607

2010

U-Links Office and online

Haliburton County

Aging well in Haliburton County
Gerontology
Human Geography
Canadian Studies

A qualitative research project commissioned by the Haliburton Aging-Well Committee.

Scholars from a variety of disciplines have attempted to explore what it means to age and, moreover, what it means to age-well. This discourse however, both theoretical and research-based, has failed to explicitly define “aging” and “aging-well”. Such ambiguity likely results from the multifaceted nature of human existence. This paper will explore the narratives of five “aging” residents of Haliburton County, as commissioned by the Haliburton County Aging-Well Committee through the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge (HKPR) Health Unit, and supported by the U-Links Centre for Community-Based Research and the Canadian Studies Department of Trent University. Interview finding include the ideas that aging is fundamentally about change, and how change is dealt with is personally subjective based on class, gender, etc. Recommendations to the committee include: 1) to increase awareness of the committee and its work through promotion such as posters and/or mail outs; 2) to elect or appoint specific committee member to liaise with organizations like Community Care, County Council, the Food Bank, Business Development Agency, etc.; 3) to advocate, petition, and otherwise make known the need for increased public transit and community oriented vehicular services within the county; and 4) Apply for grants to build a community centre and pool.

Trent University