The AIM Study
The Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research is adapting and evaluating a 13-week advocacy intervention for women in midlife and older who experience intimate partner violence. The project will reach up to 60 older women in three Maritime provinces- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The project involves trained community-based researchers providing a tailored virtual individual intervention to women through a program that assists in the development of a safety plan adapted for older women; providing information about cycles of violence, community, and legal resources; and developing goals and strategies for the future. There is also a weekly virtual check in for 12 weeks to provide social support and further assistance. Cathy Holtmann (University of New Brunswick) and Lori Weeks (Dalhousie University) are the co-lead investigators of this project. The project was mentioned in a news release by the Government of Canada.
Domestic violence study puts focus on older women in Maritimes
The AIM study – seeking partnerships
The AIM Study: Supporting Women in Midlife and Older who Experienced Intimate Partner Violence (webinar)
Lori Weeks and Kathleen Allen participated in a webinar on June 6, 2024 entitled Aligning Health Needs and Evidence for Transformative Change (AH-NET-C) JBI g-LOCAL Solution Room: Intimate Partner Violence Interventions. Lori Weeks presented the results of a scoping review related to inform the AIM study and provided an overview of the AIM study. Kathleen Allen described the training that is provided to deliver the AIM intervention. Jennifer Fraser-Furrow spoke about delivering the AIM intervention adn Jennifer Parlee spoke about how the intervention has been adapted for adult protection workers.
Community of Practice members:
Lori E. Weeks
Lori E. Weeks, PhD, is a Professor in the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University and holds a cross-appointment in the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies. She has expertise in aging and family studies and uses multiple methods to examine care and support services for older adults and their caregivers and factors affecting the health of seniors. Her research often focuses on the needs of vulnerable older adults both in the community and in residential care homes. One stream in Dr. Weeks’ program of research focuses on the abuse of older adults with a particular focus on supports for older women experiencing intimate partner violence. She has served on the Board of the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and currently serves on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Aging Advisory Board.
Kathleen Allen
Kathleen Allen is the Research Coordinator for the AIM Study and is employed at the Muriel McQueen Fergussen Centre for Family Violence Research at the University of New Brunswick. She has a master’s degree in Equity Studies and is passionate about improving the quality of life of women and other vulnerable populations through community-based research. Kathleen has experience conducting qualitative research from the vantage point of individuals who are marginalised within dominant social institutions (e.g., birthing women in hospitals). More recently, she has gained experience coordinating randomized controlled trials taking place within the Maritime provinces.
