Aging in (a meaningful) place - appropriateness and feasibility of Outdoor Reablement in a rural Arctic setting.

Abstract

As populations age in the Western world, interventions aiming for 'aging in place', such as reablement, have gained prominence. Reablement programs have focused on enabling older people to maintain independence in their home environment. However, while a growing body of research points to the considerable benefits of engaging in outdoor environments, reablement rarely addresses outdoor activities. People living in rural Arctic areas often tend to have strong cultural, social, and emotional attachments to outdoor places, emphasizing the outdoors as a meaningful arena for engagement. Concurrently, rural Arctic communities face unique obstacles in facilitating outdoor activities, such as geographic isolation, limited access to services, harsh climate conditions, and seasonal variations. Recognizing these challenges, our study sought to tailor an outdoor reablement model that is appropriate and feasible for the context of a rural Arctic setting.