Aging Interdependently: A Critical Ethnographic Study of Successful Aging and the Oldest Old

In both Canadian policies and scholarly research, there is a tendency to presume that the perspective and service needs of all older people (aged 65+ years) are similar. Yet, less is known about the unique circumstance of the oldest old (aged 85+ years): a cohort with a diverse spectrum of experiences distinct from their younger older adult counterparts. This study explores the accounts of a group of community-living adults among the oldest old utilizing the services of an older adult recreational centre located in urban Ontario to understand successful aging in the very late life years. Prominent intersectional identity locations in this phase of life, specifically gender and disability status, are examined in light of essential support needs and the policy goals of Active Living and aging in place. Using qualitative approaches of critical ethnography and case study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine women and nine men (aged 85+ years), four staff members from the older adult centre, and one respondent family member. A combination of participant data, observations, and document analysis, together with a conceptual framework comprised of feminist political economy, life course theory, and intersectionality inform the final analysis of this work. Findings reveal that despite a deeply entrenched neoliberal doctrine of sustained independence, successful aging in the oldest old is influenced by prominent social determinants of health (SDOH) and best delivered through an interdependence model of support that includes both formal government services and informal networks of care. This involves strengthened welfare state programs in several service areas, including income supports, transportation mechanisms, personal care, home care, caregiver supports, disability supports, gender-specific provisions, and increased social connections. Broadly, this study concludes that an interpretation of late later life that is unconstrained by the limitations of neoliberalism and individualism is an important first step in cultivating equity for the oldest old.