“Growing Old is not for the Weak of Heart”: Social isolation and loneliness in Muslim immigrant older adults in Canada

Abstract

The increase in global migration means more immigrants are ageing in host countries with unique experiences and needs. Muslim immigrants in Canada are from diverse ethnocultural communities and experience unmet health and social needs in older age. A community‐based participatory research project was conducted in Alberta, Canada, in 2017–2018 to understand the experiences and needs of healthy ageing in this population. A community advisory committee participated in all phases of the research project including initial framing of the research focus, recruitment, data collection and data analysis. In total, 67 older adults and stakeholders from South Asian, Arab and African Muslim communities participated in one of 23 individual interviews or seven focus group discussions over a 1‐year period. Participants were asked about their experiences of growing old in Canada, unmet health and social needs, and community perspectives on healthy ageing. All data were audio‐taped and transcribed verbatim. Interpreters were used for non‐English speaking participants. Data were thematically analysed with a focus on social isolation and loneliness. Using an exclusion lens two major themes were identified: (a) intersections of exclusion: ageism, sexism, racism, and; (b) strategies for inclusion: local, national, transnational. Findings highlight both the vulnerability of Muslim immigrant older adults and their capacity for agency. The study findings point to the intersecting influences of exclusionary practices on social isolation and loneliness in immigrant older adults and the need to incorporate an exclusion lens in developing social policies and programs for healthy ageing.

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