[The perception of seniors Francophones in a minority situation coping with the challenges and issues related to the maintenance at home in urban areas New Brunswickers]. / La perception des aînés francophones en situation minoritaire face aux défis et aux enjeux liés au maintien à domicile en milieu urbain néo-brunswickois.

OBJECTIVE: Explore the needs and the degree of satisfaction of Francophone seniors living in a minority socio-linguistic urban community in regards to aging-in-place. METHOD: An ethnographic case study was conducted in an urban community in the province of New Brunswick between October 2010 and June 2011. Individual interviews were completed with leaders of different community organizations (n=9) and focus groups were held with socio-linguistic minority French-speaking older adults (n=19). RESULTS: Francophone seniors explained their willingness to age-in-place; however, the lack of services and support in the community makes aging-in-place difficult. Despite this identified absence of services, leaders of various community organizations have no plans to review current services in order to facilitate better quality of life for seniors. CONCLUSION: Aging-in-place for French-speaking seniors living in socio-linguistic minority communities requires concerted efforts from family members, the community and the government. The Ottawa Charter of Health clearly states housing as a prerequisite of health. Housing and social support are important determinants of health. Therefore, the development and implementation of a public policy with regard to seniors, and particularly those in a socio-linguistic minority, seems fundamental in the context of population aging.

Building a new nest: the experience of women relocating to a seniors-designated apartment building.

Although relocation has been a subject of research for the last 30 years, few studies have described the experience of relocating to congregated housing for the elderly. The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was to describe women's experiences of relocating to an apartment building for seniors and the factors that influence relocation. The 11 women interviewed identified the central issue in relocation as re-establishing the self: the physical and psychosocial changes entailed in constructing a supportive and aesthetically pleasing living space while maintaining a sense of well-being. The basic social process that emerged was building a new nest, a non-linear process comprising 3 phases. The findings offer new insights into an aspect of relocation that is rarely explored in nursing research.