Engaging Older Adults Living With Frailty as Research Partners

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Project Information

Status: In progress
Lead: Centre on Aging
Timeline: 2025-27
AFU Action Plan Contribution: Goals 5, 6, & 7

As Canada's population ages, it is increasingly important that research reflects the experiences, needs, and priorities of older adults, particularly those living with frailty. Frailty is associated with increased physical, cognitive, and social vulnerability and can affect a person's daily functioning, health, and quality of life.

Despite being disproportionately affected by many health and social issues, older adults living with frailty are often underrepresented in research, both as participants and as research partners. Involving people with lived experience in the research process can strengthen the relevance, quality, and impact of research by ensuring that studies reflect real-world needs and priorities.

This project aims to better understand how older adults living with frailty can be meaningfully involved as research partners and to develop practical, evidence-informed guidelines to support researchers in engaging them.

Why This Matters

Age-friendly universities encourage the inclusion and participation of older adults in research and innovation. Involving older adults living with frailty as research partners helps ensure that research reflects their needs and priorities.

This project will provide practical guidance to support researchers in building meaningful partnerships with older adults living with frailty and conducting more inclusive, person-centred, and impactful research.

Project Approach

Phase 1: Literature Review

Status: Completed

Phase 1 examined the existing research literature to understand how older adults living with frailty have been involved in research, the roles they have played throughout the research process, and the reported outcomes of these approaches.

  • Older adults living with frailty have contributed to various stages of research, including identifying research priorities, shaping study designs, developing research materials, interpreting findings, and sharing research results. However, the nature and extent of their involvement varied considerably across studies.
  • Most studies described engagement activities but provided limited information about how partnerships were established and maintained, how decisions were made, and how power was shared throughout the research process.
  • Meaningful engagement often depended on building relationships, adopting flexible approaches, and providing ongoing support.
  • Few studies formally evaluated the outcomes of involving older adults living with frailty in research. As a result, there is limited evidence about which approaches are most effective and in what circumstances.

Phase 2: Guideline Development 

Status: In Progress

Building on the literature review findings, Phase 2 used a modified Delphi process involving older adults living with frailty, individuals with relevant experience (e.g., caregivers), and researchers. The process aimed to build consensus on approaches that are both important and feasible for engaging older adults living with frailty as research partners.

The findings are now informing the development of practical guidelines to help researchers establish and support these partnerships.

Outputs

Additional resources will be added as they become available.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the individuals who have provided leadership and support throughout this project.

Centre on Aging

  • Dr. Jayna Holroyd-Leduc (Phase 1 & 2)
  • Dr. Chantelle Zimmer (Phase 1 & 2)
  • Erin Davis (Phase 1 & 2)
  • Ishaan Cheema (Phase 1)
  • Lindsay Morrison (Phase 1)
  • Brooklynn Fernandes (Phase 2)

We also thank Caitlin McClurg (UCalgary Libraries & Cultural Resources) for conducting the literature search for Phase 1, and Calgary Seniors' Resource Society and Caregivers Alberta for supporting participant recruitment for Phase 2.