Stories from 'Who Cares?': Cultivating a Community of Aging Care on the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia.

BACKGROUND

Canada's rapidly aging population poses unique challenges for rural and remote communities such as the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia.

OBJECTIVE

Through creative community engagements and community-based participatory research, the Who Cares? project explored experiences of aging and approaches to care by gathering stories from across the Sunshine Coast.

METHODS

Qualitative data were gathered from numerous community gatherings and twelve one-on-one interviews.

FINDINGS: Reflexive and collaborative thematic analysis revealed that gaps in health services, staffing, and social supports, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have since deepened isolation among older adults. Structural barriers included inadequate transportation, housing insecurity, and limited health care access. Findings also revealed that despite these stories of need, communities on the Sunshine Coast demonstrated resilience through informal care networks, volunteerism, and collaborative caregiving practices that transcended institutional settings.

DISCUSSION: These findings point to the need for systemic and community-driven approaches to aging care that prioritize equity, accessibility, and proactive planning, while recognizing care as a shared responsibility embedded in relationships and community assets.