🏘️ Building Age-Friendly Communities across Ontario
Did you know that the Ontario Age-Friendly Communities Outreach Program supports communities across the province as they work to become more age-friendly?
Funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility and managed by CSAH in partnership with Queen’s University, the program helps communities:
🔹 Build awareness of age-friendly planning principles
🔹 Access best-practice research, resources, and information
🔹 Connect with other age-friendly communities and share promising practices
🔹 Strengthen their capacity to plan, implement, evaluate, and sustain age-friendly initiatives
Learn more about the Ontario Age-Friendly Communities Outreach Program: https://csah.ca/age-friendly-communities-ontario
The Centre for Studies in Aging and Health
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We bring evidence to life.
We work in partnership with communities, practitioners, planners, and researchers, to promote lifelong wellness, improve aging outcomes, and empower social connectivity.
📣 A reminder about one of our newest CSAH resources! 📣
Looking for funding to support Age-Friendly Community (AFC) work? Our new Checklist for Funding Age-Friendly Community Work can help communities get organized and strengthen their applications.
The checklist walks communities through key considerations when preparing a funding proposal, including:
🔹 Identifying your community’s needs and priorities
🔹 Clearly defining your goals and intended outcomes
🔹 Demonstrating community partnerships and engagement
🔹 Developing a strong plan for implementation and evaluation
🔹 Considering sustainability beyond the funding period
📋 Read it here: https://csah.ca/csahpublication/checklist-for-funding-age-friendly-community-work/
📚 August Reading List: Social Isolation and Community Belonging 📚
This month, CSAH is highlighting resources that explore the important relationship between social connection, community belonging, and healthy aging.
Social isolation and loneliness can have significant impacts on health and well-being, while meaningful connections and a sense of belonging can support quality of life, resilience, and overall wellness. Recent Canadian evidence continues to emphasize the importance of fostering social connection and creating communities where people feel valued, included, and connected.
Our August reading list features research and resources on:
🔹 Social isolation and loneliness among older adults
🔹 Community belonging and social inclusion
🔹 The role of social connection in health and well-being
🔹 Community-based approaches to reducing isolation
🔹 Building supportive and age-friendly communities
Explore the August Reading List 👉https://csah.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/August-2026-Reading-List-Social-Isolation-and-Community-Belonging.pdf
08/12/2026
The August issue of Linkages is here!
This month, we’re focusing on Social Connection and Community Belonging — an important part of healthy aging and well-being.
In this issue, you’ll find:
📚 A curated reading list exploring social isolation, community programs, the built environment, digital technologies, and age-friendly spaces.
💡 Our latest blog, The Loneliness Paradox: Why Staying Connected is More Than a Numbers Game.
📝 A new Checklist for Funding Age-Friendly Community Work to help communities prepare for funding opportunities and support long-term sustainability.
📅 Upcoming events, workshops, and learning opportunities from organizations across Ontario and Canada.
🔎 Updates and resources from our aging and health partners.
Explore the August issue of Linkages and stay connected to the latest resources, events, and updates in aging and health.
👉 Read the August issue of Linkages: https://mailchi.mp/csah/linkages-august-2026
Linkages August 2026: Social Isolation and Community Belonging This reading list highlights the roles of community-based programs, cultural and immigrant experiences, the built environment, digital technologies, gardening, music, physical activity, and age-friendly spaces in fostering social connectedness, resilience, and well-being in later life.
How do we define meaningful connection as we age?
Loneliness is often discussed in terms of the number of relationships we have, but connection is about much more than a count of social contacts. In our newest blog post, our Director Dr. John Puxty explores the “loneliness paradox” and the importance of understanding the quality, meaning, and context of our relationships.
As we work toward supporting healthy aging and age-friendly communities, it is essential to recognize that preventing loneliness requires more than simply increasing opportunities for interaction. It requires creating spaces where people feel valued, included, and genuinely connected.
Dr. Puxty’s reflection highlights the complexity of loneliness and why fostering belonging must remain central to how we design communities, services, and supports for older adults.
📚 Read the full blog post here: https://csah.ca/the-loneliness-paradox-why-staying-connected-is-more-than-a-numbers-game/
"Imagine a vibrant 68-year-old. They walk the dog every morning, keep an immaculate garden, and pride themselves on staying active. Yet, like many in their cohort, they are quietly aware of a sobering statistic: approximately 30% of community-dwelling older adults fall each year."
This opening excerpt from our latest CSAH blog challenges a common assumption: that staying active alone is enough to prevent falls. Emerging research suggests that the science of staying upright is more complex, requiring us to look beyond activity levels and consider factors such as medications, biomechanics, and the everyday trade-offs that influence health decisions.
Falls are not an inevitable part of aging, and understanding the evidence can help older adults maintain their independence, confidence, and quality of life.
📖 Read the blog: The Science of Staying Upright After 65 here:
https://csah.ca/stop-the-slip-the-science-of-staying-upright-after-65/
🌿 Today, we recognize International Self-Care Day! 🌿
At the Centre for Studies in Aging and Health, we know that self-care extends beyond physical health. It also includes nurturing our mental, emotional, and social well-being through meaningful connections, lifelong learning, physical activity, healthy habits, and activities that bring purpose and joy.
Learn more about the day here: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/international-self-care-day-july-24
Whether it's taking a walk, connecting with a friend, learning a new digital skill, attending a community event, or simply making time to rest, small acts of self-care can have a lasting impact on our quality of life.
This International Self-Care Day, we encourage you to explore our Aging in Focus Blog Series, where we share practical, evidence-informed information to help older adults and those who support them stay healthy, connected, and engaged.
📖 Read the Aging Well Blog Series: https://csah.ca/knowledge-sharing/blog/
💬 What is one self-care practice that you implement to support aging well?
🌟 New Resource Alert: Checklist for Funding Age-Friendly Community Work🌟
Securing funding is an important part of turning age-friendly priorities into action. To help communities navigate the process, we’ve developed a practical Checklist for Funding AFC Work.
This resource is designed to support organizations, municipalities, and community groups as they identify funding opportunities, prepare strong applications, build partnerships, and plan for long-term sustainability.
This new resource covers:
- Developing a funding strategy
- Preparing your funding proposal
- Steps to take after your funding submission
📄 Access the resource here:https://csah.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Checklist-for-Funding-AFC-Work.pdf
Stop the Slip: The Science of Staying Upright After 65
Falls are not an inevitable part of aging, and many are preventable. In fact, falls remain the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among older adults in Canada, making fall prevention an important component of healthy aging.
Our latest CSAH blog post by Dr. John Puxty explores the science behind balance, common risk factors for falls, and practical strategies that can help older adults maintain confidence, mobility, and independence.
In this blog, you'll learn about:
• How your medicine cabinet might be your biggest trip hazard
• The walking paradox: Why your daily stroll isn’t enough
• The power of the “slow flow” (Tai Chi and Supervision)
• The high cost of the “disutility” scale
• Home-hazard assessments
Read the full blog here: https://csah.ca/stop-the-slip-the-science-of-staying-upright-after-65/
What are some strategies you've seen make a difference in preventing falls and supporting healthy aging?
📚️ New CSAH Reading List Available: Injury Prevention for Older Adults 📚️
Injuries can have a significant impact on the health, independence, and quality of life of older adults. Our July 2026 CSAH Reading List brings together current research, evidence-informed resources, and practical strategies related to injury prevention in later life. Topics include:
✔️ Fall prevention and risk reduction
✔️ Home and community safety
✔️ Physical activity, strength, and balance
✔️ Safe mobility and transportation
✔️ Supporting independence and healthy aging
Explore the full reading list here:https://csah.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/July-2026-Reading-List-Injury-Prevention-for-Older-Adults.pdf
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