Aging in Place: Older Rural Women's Sense of Identity and Belonging

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This paper examines notions of identity and belonging in the lives of eight older women who have been 'rooted' in rural New Brunswick over a long period of time. As these women age and as their community continues to change through economic restructuring, outmigration of the young and continued depletion of services, they are faced with some difficult choices. While it may be more practical to move closer to town and services, the women expressed a strong desire to age in place. This yearning is linked with high degrees of physical, social and autobiographical insideness, (often found in elderly long term residents, (Hay, 1998)), a strong sense of belonging, and identities that are very much fused with place. However, the option of aging in place is not particularly viable, considering the decreasing numbers of family and friends who can be relied on for assistance and the often prohibitive costs of hiring outside help. Therefore, considering the crucial link between place, identity and belonging in the lives of the rural elderly and in light of an aging rural population, this paper highlights the need to develop a model that supports the sustainability of older lives in place.

Stream: Cultural Sustainability

Paper: A paper has not yet been submitted.

Jane Oliver graduated from the University of Guelph in 2005 with a M.Sc. in Rural Extension Studies. Her thesis explored notions of identity and place in the lives of older rural New Brunswick women who have been rooted in place for a long period of time. Jane has an eclectic background, including sheep farming in New Brunswick, teaching in rural Tanzania, and working with community based AIDS service organizations in Toronto. She is currently living and teaching in Attawapiskat, a remote fly-in Cree community on the western shore of James Bay in northern Ontario. She continues to be deeply intrigued with notions of identity and place, particularly in the lives of women living in rural and remote locations.