SEVEN- Socially Excluded Older Adults:Voices and Experiences

As populations age, the way in which older people create and maintain their relationships are being increasingly recognised as key determinants of health and wellbeing in later life. Many policies and initiatives aim at enhancing social participation of older adults believing that life quality and satisfaction of life increase with the level and quality of social relations in older age. However, despite this growing interest in increasing social inclusion and combating social exclusion in older age, the voices of socially-excluded older adults and their experiences remain underrepresented in health policy discourses and research. Therefore this research project aims at capturing experiences, expectations and needs of socially- excluded older adults to increase social inclusion and combat social exclusion. It does so by not only researching about, but with older adults that have made such experiences, and involves them as researchers in all stages of the project in order to gain insights on their experiences of in- and exclusion from social relations. By inviting older adults to participate in each stage of the research process we promote an innovative approach that, on the one hand, facilitates and advances ways for socially- excluded older adults to express their voices, thereby empowering them and their self-advocacy, and on the other hand create research insights that are able to grasp the life worlds of older, social excluded adults more accurately. The aim of the project is developing a research toolkit to facilitate research with socially excluded older adults and allows integrating their voices in research processes about social exclusion in later life. Using citizen researcher training and consultative forums, the project will provide a platform for socially- excluded older adults to co-design research tools best capturing their voices and experiences what will help to develop policy and research recommendations that are more inclusive and adequate.

In a rapidly aging world, our research project aimed to shine a light on the often-overlooked stories of socially-excluded older adults. These individuals, despite the well-intentioned efforts of policies promoting social inclusion, often found their voices sidelined. Our project sought to change that by giving them an active role as researchers, ensuring their unique insights shaped the entire narrative. Rather than just studying older adults from a distance, we walked alongside them every step of the way. By empowering socially-excluded older adults to actively contribute to our research, we not only provided them a platform to share their experiences but gained profound, firsthand insights into their social inclusion and exclusion encounters. The most impactful result was the creation of a unique research manual developed hand-in-hand with socially-excluded older adults. This manual, a product of collaborative efforts and shared experiences, is a powerful resource that helps bridge gaps in understanding their world. Through this project, we didn't just aim to fill gaps in representation; we set out to foster a more compassionate understanding of social exclusion in older age. This isn't just for researchers; it's for everyone who believes in the power of stories to shape a better future. The insights gained are a celebration of empowerment, inclusivity, and the resilience of the human spirit.