Presentation Schedule
Loneliness Is Not Inevitable: Leadership Lessons from Community-Driven Aging-in-Place Models (106587)
Thursday, 9 July 2026 15:45
Session: Poster Session 1
Room: Brunei Gallery (Ground Floor)
Presentation Type:Poster Presentation
Loneliness among older adults is increasingly recognized as a critical public health and leadership challenge, particularly for those aging in place while living with cognitive, physical, or social vulnerabilities. It is not an individual deficit, but rather a systems and leadership challenge. This poster presents leadership lessons drawn from the ASK Friendship Society. The Society is a not-for-profit organization that has been in operation for 50-years through community-driven care model. The organization supports older adults and caregivers through culturally responsive adult day programs and community supports. Rather than framing loneliness as an inevitable consequence of aging, this model positions social connection as an intentional outcome of organizational leadership, program design, and community partnership. Using a practice-based leadership lens, the poster examines how adaptive leadership strategies—such as relationship-centred care, flexible program design, inclusive governance, and workforce stability—create environments that foster belonging, dignity, and sustained engagement. Some focus is given to leadership decisions that prioritize continuity of relationships, culturally meaningful programming, and low-barrier access for socially isolated seniors, including those living with dementia. The poster further explores how aging-in-place is strengthened when leadership aligns operational structures with the social and emotional needs of older adults and caregivers. By embedding connection and meaning into daily practice, space design, and community collaboration, the model demonstrates measurable reductions in social isolation and increased caregiver confidence and participation.
Authors:
Meena Amlani, ASK Friendship Society, Canada
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Meena Amlani is the Executive Director at the ASK Friendship Society.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule
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