Carri Hand, PhD

Associate Director - Graduate Chair (Acting) and Associate Professor

Contact Information

chand22@uwo.ca
@carrihand
ResearchGate Profile
Google Scholar
EngAGE Research Lab

Education

  • PhD (McMaster)
  • MSc (McMaster)
  • BScOT (Western)

Graduate Program Supervision

  • Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program, MSc | PhD

Research In Profile

Carri Hand's research explores social connectedness, community participation, and engagement in everyday activities and occupations among older adults. She aims to understand the ways that the social, physical, cultural and other aspects of communities shape older adults’ lives and to develop innovative strategies to promote age-inclusive communities. Professor Hand does research in settings like local neighbourhoods, apartment buildings, and primary care, and I collaborate with community organizations and community members. Her research approaches include community-based research; participatory action research; qualitative methods such as ethnography; geo-spatial techniques; and survey research.

Featured Publications and Projects

Chapters and Reports

  • Letts, L., Donnelly, C., Hand, C., Leclair, L., Wener, P. (2022 May). Promoting Occupational Participation With Communities. In M. Egan & G. Restall (Eds.) Enabling Occupation III. Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists..

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

  • Hand, C., Prentice, K., Laliberte Rudman, D., McGrath, C. (2022). Contested occupations in place: Experiences of inclusion and exclusion in a senior’s apartment building. Journal of Occupational Science. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2022.2125897
  • DePaul VG, Parniak S, Nguyen, P., Hand C, Letts, L., McGrath, C., Richardson, J., Laliberte Rudman D, Bayoumi I, Cooper H, Tranmer J, Donnelly C. (2022). Identification and engagement of naturally occurring retirement communities to support healthy aging in Canada: A set of methods for replication. BMC Geriatrics, 22(355). doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03045-z
  • Hand, C., Donnelly, C., Bobette, N., Borczyk, M. (2022). Examining utility and feasibility of implementing patient-reported outcome measures in interprofessional primary care. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 85(7) https://doi.org/10.1177/0308022621104
  • Hand, C., Laliberte Rudman D., Huot, S., Pack, R & Gilliland, J. (2020). Enacting agency: Exploring how older adults shape their neighbourhoods. Ageing & Society, 40, 565-583. doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X18001150
  • Hand, C., McGrath, C., Laliberte Rudman, D., Donnelly, C., Sands, M. (2019). Initiating participatory action research with older adults: Lessons learned through reflexivity. Canadian Journal on Aging, 38, 512-520. doi.org/10.1017/S0714980819000072
  • Hand, C. L., Laliberte Rudman, D. L., Huot, S., Gilliland, J. A., & Pack, R. L. (2018). Toward understanding person–place transactions in neighborhoods: A qualitative-participatory geospatial approach. The Gerontologist, 58, 89–100. doi:10.1093/geront/gnx064

Visit Google Scholar for a comprehensive list of publications.

Current Grants and Research Projects

  • Hand, C. (2021-2026). Aging Places: Exploring and Enhancing Older Adults' Inclusion in Neighbourhoods Ontario Early Researcher Award. $150,000.
  • Hand, C . (2021-2023). Implementing and evaluating Oasis in South-West Ontario. South West Frail Senior Strategy. $68,000.
  • Hand, C. (2018-2024). Exploring and promoting older adults’ inclusion in neighbourhoods. SSHRC Insight Grant. $234,719
  • Hand, C. (co-I), DePaul V. (PI) (2021-2025). Fostering healthy aging in naturally occurring retirement communities: a mixed methods explanatory case study. CIHR Project Grant. $1,583,288
  • Hand, C. (co-I), McGrath, C (PI) (2020-2025). Enacting a critical participatory action research process with older adults aging with vision loss: A focus on community mobility. SSHRC Insight Grant. $220,432.

Featured Graduate Student Projects

The Role of Leisure in Older Adults Moving Homes.

  • Prentice, K. (2022). PhD, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program

Exploring Co-occupation within Intergenerational Housing: An Ethnographic StudyThesis Title.

  • Gorjup, R. (2020). MSc, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program.

Exploring older Immigrants’ Experiences of Contributing to Society.

  • Schuster, A. (2019). MSc, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program.

Examining and Understanding Social Connectedness and Social Engagement Among Muslim Lebanese Canadian Older Adults.

  • Chams, N. (2017). MSc, Health and Rehabilitation Science Program.

Visit Scholarship@Western for a list of completed student theses and dissertations in the repository.

Graduate Student Opportunities

If you are interested in pursuing MSc or PhD studies with Dr. Hand, email the following directly to professor Carri Hand:

  • Your CV/resume
  • A description of your research interests, outlining how they align with the work of professor Hand and/or the EngAGE Research Lab
  • A copy of your recent transcripts

If you are interested in volunteering in EngAGE Research Lab, please email professor Carri Hand to inquire about current opportunities.

Additional Information

Academic Appointments and Research Affiliations