Age Friendly Community Plan Task Force Meets

(Golden, BC) Golden has taken a significant step towards supporting seniors.

On March 6, a group of 12 volunteers accepted the call and met to help craft the Town of Golden's Age Friendly Community Plan (AFCP). The Town of Golden (with the administrative support of the College of the Rockies) have secured a 2013 grant from the Seniors' Housing and Support Initiative (SHSI) to complete an Age Friendly Community Plan.

The SHSI was created by the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development to assist local governments to prepare for an aging population.  The Ministry of Health supported the initiative by providing funds to incorporate a focus on age friendly projects. 

Age friendly communities are communities where older people can live active, socially engaged lives through polices, services and structures designed to support them. The AFCP will look at existing and desired programs and services so that Golden can:
•    Recognize the wide range of capacities and resources among older people
•    Anticipate and respond flexibly to aging-related needs and preferences
•    Respect decisions and lifestyle choices
•    Protect those who are most vulnerable
•    Promote inclusion and contribution in all areas of community life

This is an exciting opportunity to participate in community planning which will include 1 hour meeting every 2 weeks until the end of spring, when Golden's Age Friendly Community Plan (AFCP) will be published and implemented. (To learn more about Age Friendly Community Planning, "Finding the Right Fit: Age-Friendly Community Planning" is a great resource from Ontario.)

If you could not make the 1st meeting, but want to participate on the Task Force (or know someone else who does) or would like to receive a Needs Assessment (survey), please contact Ryan Watmough at nonprofits.gcrs@gmail.com or 250.344.8610.

To learn more, please see the resources on the AFCP page on GoldenLoom.ca.