Age Friendly Community Committee
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AFCC Meetings (2014-16)
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On June 10, 2015, Golden was recognized as an age friendly community by AFBC.
"To achieve recognition, four key steps must be taken. These include establishing an age-friendly advisory or steering committee, passing a council or district board resolution, conducting an age-friendly assessment, and developing and publishing an action plan." The Age Friendly Community Committee is open to anyone interested in furthering the services and programs for older adults in Golden & Area A. All documentation from the AFCP and meetings can be found below. If you have any questions about the Committee, the AFCP, or any suggestions for guest speakers, please contact Ryan Watmough at [email protected] or 250.344.8610. Next Meeting: Wednesday January 20, 2016; 2pm; Town Council Chambers
Guests: Elizabeth Brandrick & Helen Lutz, North Kootenay Lake Community Services Society (NKLCSS) |
With the support of Monica De from the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL), the Age Friendly Community Planning Committee met 3 times and developed an condensed Action Plan, based on the AFCP Plan presented to Town Council July 23, 2015.
The Committee/Coalition continues to meet each month (3rd Wednesday). The meeting location changes, based on the availability of space, timing topics and guest speakers. Minutes from each Coalition meeting can be found below. Please feel free to download and save them for reference. AFCP Plan
To see the Age Friendly Community Plan, please click here.
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AFCC Meeting Minutes, Plans & Presentations
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From Latest Meeting - Feb 17, 2016
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Golden's Age Friendly & Community Events Calendar
Social inclusion for local seniors (and all citizens) can be enhanced with better coordination and communication of events, programs and services. A broad, age friendly calendar is a goal of the AFCC. There are many examples of calendars (both local and from a far), and a committee comprised of Connie Barlow, Tanis Brown, Ryan Watmough, Ruth Hamilton and Jenn Keilty have been examining better practices and existing resources to pull together a calendar for Golden's older adults and determine how it can be updated and circulated sustainably.
This group plans to have an Age Friendly Calendar published for October 2015. The Golden Seniors Centre Society has provided their scheduled events up to the end of 2015. Durand Manor will be inputting their events as well. All other Age Friendly events hosts are invited to "Submit and Event" through the Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce Events.
Thanks to the Columbia Valley Credit Union's generous donation and sponsorship from many local businesses, the Age Friendly Calendar will be printed and distributed throughout Golden.
This group plans to have an Age Friendly Calendar published for October 2015. The Golden Seniors Centre Society has provided their scheduled events up to the end of 2015. Durand Manor will be inputting their events as well. All other Age Friendly events hosts are invited to "Submit and Event" through the Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce Events.
Thanks to the Columbia Valley Credit Union's generous donation and sponsorship from many local businesses, the Age Friendly Calendar will be printed and distributed throughout Golden.
The Golden Seniors Centre's first Seniors Tea & Art Show.
AFC Committee: Durand Manor Renovations & Related Projects
With proposed renovations expected to occur at Durand Manor, community stakeholders were invited to share ideas and opportunities on how to optimize this space for the residents of Durand Manor and their visitors.
"This project will see the current multi-purpose building (known as the “round room”) demolished and rebuilt to more than twice the size. The new space is a 160 square metres (1,722 square feet) addition attached to the main Durand Manor facility and some additional renovations will take place to a portion of the main building in order to improve access between the two."
However, while there is an appetite from the community to be involved in the renovation, so far there has not been an opportunity.
"This project will see the current multi-purpose building (known as the “round room”) demolished and rebuilt to more than twice the size. The new space is a 160 square metres (1,722 square feet) addition attached to the main Durand Manor facility and some additional renovations will take place to a portion of the main building in order to improve access between the two."
However, while there is an appetite from the community to be involved in the renovation, so far there has not been an opportunity.
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Possible Partners:
Interior Health Town of Golden ECDC Service Clubs (Rotary, Lions) AFCC Local Government (Town of Golden) |
Meeting Notes - September 15, 2015 (.ppt & .pdf):
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IH Media Release: Tender released for Durand Manor renovation - November 9, 2015 (.pdf)
| nr_tender_released_for_durand_manor_expansion.pdf |
AFC Committee: Seniors Advocate/Navigator
Who is helping seniors when they face new health or living issues? Currently, there is no formal structure in place in Golden - no advocate or navigator. Mickey Balas receives a number of calls each week, so she has offered to look at a Seniors' Advocate initiative, which could include a formal program and position. In the interim, Mickey has secured an office space in Mountainview Assisted Living and will begin using it on Fridays sometime this fall.
Kerri Wall, Community Health Facilitator for East & West Kootenay from the Healthy Communities Initiative, suggests that a ‘seniors navigator’ may be one solution, perhaps housed within GCRS. Kerri suggests that there are numerous grant opportunities to create a position like this and when we find out about them, details will be posted here.
Additional Resources:
Deb Austin, Health Services Director in Golden District Hospital, 250-421-3559, [email protected]
Caring for Older Adults through Self-Care
Kerri Wall, Community Health Facilitator - East & West Kootenay, Healthy Communities Initiative, 250-423-8746, [email protected]
North Kootenay Lake Community Services Society (NKLCSS) - "Caregiver Support" and "Seniors Outreach and Support Project"
Kerri Wall, Community Health Facilitator for East & West Kootenay from the Healthy Communities Initiative, suggests that a ‘seniors navigator’ may be one solution, perhaps housed within GCRS. Kerri suggests that there are numerous grant opportunities to create a position like this and when we find out about them, details will be posted here.
Additional Resources:
Deb Austin, Health Services Director in Golden District Hospital, 250-421-3559, [email protected]
Caring for Older Adults through Self-Care
Kerri Wall, Community Health Facilitator - East & West Kootenay, Healthy Communities Initiative, 250-423-8746, [email protected]
North Kootenay Lake Community Services Society (NKLCSS) - "Caregiver Support" and "Seniors Outreach and Support Project"
| nklcss_ubcm_grant___deliverables_overview.pdf |
AFC Committee: Seniors Helping Seniors
Initiated by the continuing challenge of connecting seniors to healthy meals, a committee has been struck that will widen the scope around the theme of "seniors helping seniors." Seniors helping seniors could include help related to yard work, cleaning, meal prep, computer tutorials, and many other areas.
A recent New Horizons for Seniors grant intake provided the impetus for Jan Rodman, Leslie Adams, Jim Halvorson, Monica De, Katherine Feibig, Tanis Brown meet to discuss the concept. However, the group has decided to wait to design the program and find resources. Input will be sought from the Golden Food Bank Society and many underutilized community kitchens throughout Golden.
An existing program called Better At Home, "a United Way managed program helping seniors remain independent," would be a good fit with this group. Of the 67 pilot community projects underway in BC, Golden is not included (but Revelstoke and Invermere are). It won't be until 2017 or later that the results from this research will be published and other communities, like Golden, may be able to participate.
The Better At Home program can cost between $50,000 to $100,000 per year, depending on community demographics, needs, an available host organization, existing services and gaps. It is suggested that writing your MLA is the only way to get additional government resources dedicated to this program. A local host organization would also be required to begin the program in Golden, which can likely be found in GCRS.
Additional Resources:
Seniors Services Society (Vancouver)
Seniors Helping Seniors (Leeport, PA)
Better At Home (BC)
A recent New Horizons for Seniors grant intake provided the impetus for Jan Rodman, Leslie Adams, Jim Halvorson, Monica De, Katherine Feibig, Tanis Brown meet to discuss the concept. However, the group has decided to wait to design the program and find resources. Input will be sought from the Golden Food Bank Society and many underutilized community kitchens throughout Golden.
An existing program called Better At Home, "a United Way managed program helping seniors remain independent," would be a good fit with this group. Of the 67 pilot community projects underway in BC, Golden is not included (but Revelstoke and Invermere are). It won't be until 2017 or later that the results from this research will be published and other communities, like Golden, may be able to participate.
The Better At Home program can cost between $50,000 to $100,000 per year, depending on community demographics, needs, an available host organization, existing services and gaps. It is suggested that writing your MLA is the only way to get additional government resources dedicated to this program. A local host organization would also be required to begin the program in Golden, which can likely be found in GCRS.
Additional Resources:
Seniors Services Society (Vancouver)
Seniors Helping Seniors (Leeport, PA)
Better At Home (BC)
Request for Support Letters for "Better at Home" Sent to BC Government & their Response
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AFC Committee: Access to Care
A collection of concerned citizens - some in the healthcare sector and some outside of it - have been meeting regularly to identify, prioritize and address the issues and solutions with respect to local residents' access to care.
The Access to Care Committee has crafted a summary of issues, possible solutions, and lead agents that it is using to frame their progress on these issues at the local, regional, provincial and inter-provincial level.
The Access to Care Committee receives input from patients, healthcare providers, administrators, politicians and concerned citizens. Over time, this group hopes to improve options and outcomes for local residents.
Separate from the Access to Care Committee but also focused on health care, Friends of Golden of the Golden & District Hospital raised over $50,000 for prioritized equipment in October 2015.
The Access to Care Committee has crafted a summary of issues, possible solutions, and lead agents that it is using to frame their progress on these issues at the local, regional, provincial and inter-provincial level.
The Access to Care Committee receives input from patients, healthcare providers, administrators, politicians and concerned citizens. Over time, this group hopes to improve options and outcomes for local residents.
Separate from the Access to Care Committee but also focused on health care, Friends of Golden of the Golden & District Hospital raised over $50,000 for prioritized equipment in October 2015.
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Deborah Austin's Presentation to Town of Golden Council, March 2015. PowerPoint file.
Interior Health (IH) Organization Structure Chart
Interior Health (IH) Board of Directors - Members Bios
Interior Health (IH) Lab Sustainability Strategy Memo, July 15, 2015
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AFC Committee: Transportation
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A few AFCP Coalition members got together on Monday May 25, 2015 at the Golden Museum to discuss Transportation improvements for older adults in Golden & Area A.
Improvements in transportation for all age groups would be beneficial for the Golden & Area A community, so the discussion bounced in and out of details for addressing transportation for Duran Manor residents and the entire community. Notes from the discussion can be found in the file below (.pdf). |
Since the initial discussion in May 2015, the common thought has been to better utilize existing, private programs like Golden RideShare on Facebook and HitchPlanet.com, who added Golden as a destination in late 2015.
Further, Golden Share, led by Joy Orr, is looking at promoting ride-sharing further, with a focus on local events to increase social inclusion. 
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| afcp-transportationminutes-may25,2015.pdf |
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Nelson Cares' Moving Together Phase III: Implementing a Transportation Action Plan for Kootenay Boundary Seniors project
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Men's Shed
Question: What do men, who have worked all their life, do when they retire?
Answer. Drive their wife crazy or join a Men's Shed. A Men's Shed is the common ground where men can meet and discuss their issues. The concept started in Australia when it was recognized many men don’t reach out for medical help during their senior years. Some other men may have a difficult time meeting people. A Men's Shed is also a great place to start and finish household projects or form the foundation for an inter-generational learning experience. In other communities Men's Sheds have led to the creation of many other community projects (Pemberton Pavilion and Tool Lending Library), which is much more healthy and productive than spending all day in a coffee shop or driving their wife crazy. Men's Sheds: Men's Shed Australia Men's Shed Ireland Men's Shed Vanderhoof 
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Tool Lending Library
While this may seem like a natural fit for the "Men's Shed," some tool lending libraries receive the most memberships from women (Pemberton: 70% women). This may be due to the expectation that men have their own tools.
In order to have an adequate workshop, individuals would need to invest $1,000s and maintain hundreds of square feet. Tool lending libraries allow members to pool their resources and free up their individual capital, rather than each member investing in the same tool that they would not (on a hobby basis) need all the all the time. Tool lending libraries can be created through donations. Older men may not have the room or ability to make use of a lifetime of tool collecting and tool lending libraries can be recipients of this generosity. For tool libraries to be successful, they must be coordinated and ensure that members follow the rules for borrowing and returning the items. As they are open to everyone, there are great possibilities for skill development, inter-generational learning and community projects. The Okanagan Regional Library has been invited to participate as they are the local/regional experts in the 'lending of things.' Tool Lending Libraries: Pemberton Tool Library Vancouver Tool Library |
Targeted Initiative for Older Workers Program
The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) program is designed to assist unemployed older workers in communities across B.C. that are experiencing ongoing high unemployment and/or those that may rely heavily on a single industry affected by downsizing. The program is funded by the governments of BC and Canada and administered in the East Kootenay region by College of the Rockies.
The Golden COTR TIOW is waiting for approval of their 4th and 5th intake. Jane Powell, TIOW Program Coordinator, presented at the February 17th, 2016 AFCC Meeting.
The Golden COTR TIOW is waiting for approval of their 4th and 5th intake. Jane Powell, TIOW Program Coordinator, presented at the February 17th, 2016 AFCC Meeting.
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Additional Resources & Project Ideas
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Norfolk County Library's Seniors Library Team project
Council on the Ageing (COTA, Victoria AU) - Sport and Physical Activity
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Plan H: Social Connectedness
Plan H is the result of a partnership between Healthy Families BC and BC Healthy Communities. The new PlanH Social Connectedness Action Guide available for download here!
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New Program: Reducing Social Isolation for Seniors
Seniors SI is a new partnership with the Government of Canada to help communities across Canada generate, implement, and scale socially innovative community-level approaches to reduce the social isolation of seniors.
Seniors SI will help community organizations, local governments, and civil society work together to substantially increase the proportion of seniors that regularly participate in social activities outside of their home and can access support when they need it.
Seniors SI will support a forthcoming call for proposals (up to $21M, mid-May 2015) for the New Horizons for Seniors program, recently announced by the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors). The NHSP will fund projects that are part of community-wide efforts to reduce social isolation among seniors. Innoweave will support the development and implementation of community-wide approaches and projects eligible to apply for NHSP funding through engagement sessions and coaching.
To learn more about bringing Seniors SI to your community, contact us at [email protected] or visit SeniorsSI.ca.
Check Innoweave's past Seniors SI events:
More information on the issues that this program hopes to address is available from the National Seniors Council.
Seniors SI will help community organizations, local governments, and civil society work together to substantially increase the proportion of seniors that regularly participate in social activities outside of their home and can access support when they need it.
Seniors SI will support a forthcoming call for proposals (up to $21M, mid-May 2015) for the New Horizons for Seniors program, recently announced by the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors). The NHSP will fund projects that are part of community-wide efforts to reduce social isolation among seniors. Innoweave will support the development and implementation of community-wide approaches and projects eligible to apply for NHSP funding through engagement sessions and coaching.
To learn more about bringing Seniors SI to your community, contact us at [email protected] or visit SeniorsSI.ca.
Check Innoweave's past Seniors SI events:
- Calgary Engagement Session April 23
- National Online Engagement Session May 5
- National Online Engagement Session May 7 (in French)
More information on the issues that this program hopes to address is available from the National Seniors Council.
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Golden AFC Committee Finds Age Friendly Coordinator
In cooperation with the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) and Golden Community Resources Society (GCRS), Golden's Age Friendly Committee has found their first Age Friendly Coordinator.
Ryan Watmough will aim to oversee, promote and encourage implementation of the Age Friendly Community Plan (AFCP) in order to create a supportive, welcoming and vibrant environment for older adults. He will work collaboratively with the Age Friendly Committee and community.
This contract runs from end of April to January 8, 2016 (Funded by the Columbia Basin Trust; Golden Community Resources Society is the employer).
Ryan Watmough will aim to oversee, promote and encourage implementation of the Age Friendly Community Plan (AFCP) in order to create a supportive, welcoming and vibrant environment for older adults. He will work collaboratively with the Age Friendly Committee and community.
This contract runs from end of April to January 8, 2016 (Funded by the Columbia Basin Trust; Golden Community Resources Society is the employer).
| afcp-jd-updatedbymd.docx |
AFCP Committee Meeting - May 20, 2015
The first AFCP Committee Meeting with the new AFC Coordinator saw a great turnout. Virtually all local organizations which can help make Golden & Area A more age-friendly had at least one member present. Colleen Palumbo, Executive Director of the Golden Museum, played host and Mickey Balas brought some delicious treats.
Two highlights of the meeting included presentations made by Chris Cochran from the Town of Golden (Sidewalk condition & availability), and Irene Gray from the Golden Seniors Centre. Chris explained the capital projects and operational worked planned for Golden's sidewalks. He also explained that the prioritization of certain areas for snow & ice clearing will mean other residential sidewalks areas may be moved down the priority list. Irene took over the Seniors Centre President role in February and welcomed everyone to visit both the regularly scheduled programs and some newly-planned event.
Attendees also learned about an upcoming Seniors Social Inclusion (SeniorsSI) grant stream which will be available in the near future. The SeniorsSI webinar from Innoweave can be found below.
Golden organizations are already familiar with Innoweave's Collective Impact methodology through Community Team Prototyping and sub-sector development, which will help identify the many age friendly "complex problems" and ideas into a collaborative project.
Two key Innoweave diagrams have been posted below, along with Innoweave's SeniorsSI National Webinar. Meeting Minutes can be found above in the PDF Minutes section.
Two highlights of the meeting included presentations made by Chris Cochran from the Town of Golden (Sidewalk condition & availability), and Irene Gray from the Golden Seniors Centre. Chris explained the capital projects and operational worked planned for Golden's sidewalks. He also explained that the prioritization of certain areas for snow & ice clearing will mean other residential sidewalks areas may be moved down the priority list. Irene took over the Seniors Centre President role in February and welcomed everyone to visit both the regularly scheduled programs and some newly-planned event.
Attendees also learned about an upcoming Seniors Social Inclusion (SeniorsSI) grant stream which will be available in the near future. The SeniorsSI webinar from Innoweave can be found below.
Golden organizations are already familiar with Innoweave's Collective Impact methodology through Community Team Prototyping and sub-sector development, which will help identify the many age friendly "complex problems" and ideas into a collaborative project.
Two key Innoweave diagrams have been posted below, along with Innoweave's SeniorsSI National Webinar. Meeting Minutes can be found above in the PDF Minutes section.
Presentation - Targeted Initiative for Older Workers
Jane Powell graciously invited a presentation to the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW) Program from the AFCC on October 9, 2015.
| afcp_mtg_rollout-tiow-oct92015.pdf |
Presentations - Plan Roll-Out
The AFCP Task Force was able to present the update the Plan (V10) to local leaders. Without a backbone organization to take the Plan on, each relevant group will be responsible for communicating their progress and challenges over the next 6 months. Hard copies of the Plan can be found at the Town of Golden office and College of the Rockies. The most up-to-date Plan can be found above.
| afcp_rollout-jul292014.pdf |
AFCP Media Releases
Over the duration of this project, media releases will be posted here.
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| seniors_advocate_survey_news_release.pdf |
