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Niagara-Wide Forum:
Connecting Local Municipal
Seniors/Age-Friendly Advisory Committee Leaders
October 24, 2019
Hosted by: Township of West Lincoln Age-Friendly Advisory Committee
Age-Friendly Niagara Network (AFNN) Forum , October 24, 2019 - Agenda
9:00 Welcome and AFNN Update
9:12 Implementing the Niagara Aging Strategy and Action Plan - 2017-2019 Highlights
9:25 Community Support Services of Niagara - update
9:45 Health Promotion for Older Adults – Niagara Region Public Health
9:50 “What One Thing” – 60-second sharing x 12 local areas across Niagara
10:05 Table Conversations - Sharing best practice, common issues
10:40 Break
10:55 Group Discussion – Taking Collective Action – choose 1 of 5 topics
11:45 Wrap-Up & Next Steps
12:00 Lunch and Networking 1
• Third forum to engage municipal Senior/Age-Friendly
Advisory Committee Leaders was held on May 29, 2019 at
Heartland Forest in Niagara Falls.
• 39 people from 10 local municipalities gathered to share
ideas, learn about what others are doing, and work
collectively on taking action to strengthen quality of life as
people age in Niagara.
Age-Friendly Niagara Network Update
May, 2019 forum participants discussed challenges their committee is facing/has faced, including:
1. Recruitment and retention of committee members
2. Access to funding and resources to carry out the work of the committee and sustain Niagara-wide network
3. Community awareness of the work the committee is doing 4. Gaining momentum and getting organized as a committee,
after the fall 2018 election period
3 May 29, 2019 - participants identified Niagara-wide opportunities local
municipal committees could pursue, together, across Niagara: 1. Share info, best practices, resources
2. Advocate with one voice Niagara-wide, re: issues of common concern (eg. housing, transit)
3. Share on ongoing basis: meeting minutes; Terms of Reference (ToR) – integrate Niagara-wide lens into ToR
4. Gather for shared learning events
5. Engage with Brock U., Niagara College to gather info about older people in Niagara
Implementing the Niagara Aging Strategy & Action Plan (NASAP) – Next Steps
Continue to Build the Age-Friendly movement in Niagara:
- Support Collaborative of Seniors/Age-Friendly/Community Wellness Committee leaders across Niagara
- Emphasize inter-generational aspect of Age-Friendly
- Be recognized as an active member of Ontario Association of Councils on Aging - Engage Champions: politicians, community leaders, businesses, service
providers, networks
- Acknowledge the role of skilled coordination in allowing network leaders to continue the pace, build momentum, & keep people engaged/involved - Support ongoing NASAP implementation, through the 3 Action Groups
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Presentation: Community
Support Services of Niagara
Community Support Services of Niagara is a volunteer based, not-for-profit, charitable agency
providing comprehensive client-driven services to help seniors and adults with disabilities
live independently in their own homes.
Welland Office
R30-800 Niagara Street (Seaway Mall)
Welland ON 905-788-3181
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OVERVIEW
Non-Profit Agency Funded by
HNHB LHIN
Client fees
Donations and
Grants
Three Local Offices
Beamsville
Welland and
St. Catharines
Client Focused Services
Governed by a Board of Directors
Supported by Volunteers
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His wife passed away last year… His kids live out of town
His wife used to cook all the meals. Now he barely eats once a day
His memory is not as good as it used to be Tasks of daily living
seem overwhelming
Loneliness is a breeding ground for mental health issues
His home used to give him a sense of joy. Now, the job of keeping up his home is difficult
He lost his driver’s license because of his medical issues He now feels vulnerable
Volunteers are essential; without them we would be unable to provide the much needed services that help our seniors remain in their homes
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Community Support Services
of Niagara Programs
Friendly Visiting & Security Reassurance
• Community Based
• Wellness Supportive Living
Program Meals on Wheels
• Service area includes Welland/Pelham and West Niagara Areas.
Transportation
Service Coordination
• Safety at Home
• Leaf and Snow Buddies
• Home Maintenance and
Repair
Congregate Dining
• Community Based that align
with MOW areas
• Wellness Supportive Living Program
• Niagara Hindu Samaj
Homemaking Services
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Serving all of the Niagara Region
A new initiative comprised of
➢Family Health Teams,
➢Community Health Centres,
➢Hospice Niagara,
➢Alzheimer Society of Niagara, and
➢Community agencies, such as CSSN
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GOALS
Bridge the identified gaps:
➢provide culturally sensitive and inclusive programs
➢non-specific to an illness
➢skills-based hands-on component
➢offered in both official languages
➢In cities across the Niagara region 19
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4 week Care for the Caregiver
16 week Self Care for the Caregiver
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Caregivers who:
➢Demonstrate stress and burnout
➢Have difficulties with advanced care planning decisions
➢Have cumulative caregiving roles
➢Are isolated and/or without support
➢Are not able and/or reluctant to access community services
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Email CNONiagara@gmail.com Or
Call Delphine Pagotto at 905-734-1141 ext. 2319
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Health Promotion for Older Adults
- Niagara Region Public Health
Health Promotion
for Older Adults
Kevin Maidment, Health Promoter Niagara Region Public
Health
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About Me
• Health Promoter • My portfolio:
• Healthy Aging (population = community-dwelling older adults 55+) • Focus:
• Injury prevention (preventing injuries from falls) • Mental health promotion (decreasing social isolation)
What the Data is Telling us
Preventable Injuries in Niagara Report (2017) • Falls - top unintentional injury
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Fall Prevention
• Promotion of Fall Prevention Month
• Providing content for Fall Prevention Month Newsletter for health practitioners
• Identifying new communication channels (Screenscapes project)
• Community presentations on fall prevention
Mental Health Promotion
Mental Health Promotion Strategy (2018-2022)
o Four areas of focus were identified to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors in mental health
▪ Foster social connectedness by decreasing social isolation and increasing a sense of belonging 29
Social Isolation
• Evidence-Informed Public Health (EIPH) process to identify proven interventions that decrease social isolation
• Research and critical appraisal • Synthesizing research
• Adapting to local context
• Needs assessment
• Implement • Evaluate
Public Health Focus
• Focus on upstream interventions and strategies • Working to reduce barriers • Focus on
evidence-based best practice
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Health Promoter Role
• Health Promoters:
• Work collaboratively with partners across sectors to enhance impact and sustainability of health promotion action
• Facilitate community mobilization and build community capacity around shared health priorities
• Identify gaps
• Work to reduce barriers and address risk factors
Why I am here
• To learn from you!
• AFNN Action Plan (Action Group 3)
• Currently working toward improved services, systems and infrastructure for older adults
• Does this include transportation for isolated seniors?
• Is there work currently taking place in prevention of falls on a
population level?
• Any policy work?
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Resources/Links
• National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools:
https://www.nccmt.ca/
• Fall Prevention Month: https://www.fallpreventionmonth.ca/
• Hamilton Seniors Isolation Impact Plan:
https://socialisolation.ca/
• Niagara Region Seniors Community Programs:
https://www.niagararegion.ca/living/seniors/programs/default.as px
Thank you!
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One person from each
local municipal Seniors/Age-Friendly Advisory Committee
has
60 Seconds maximum
to share ‘One Thing’
that your committee is doing now,
that you believe could
Strengthen Age-Friendly work in other parts of Niagara
Table Conversations: Joint Action
to Sustain the Age-Friendly movement in Niagara
1. (a) What are the most important actions we can take,
together, to sustain the work of the Age-Friendly
Niagara Network (AFNN)? (b) What do you see your
local Committee doing, to help sustain AFNN’s work?
2. What priority action items could AFNN collectively focus
on, during the next year?
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Refreshment Break
compliments of
West Lincoln Age-Friendly Advisory
Committee
Group Discussion - Choose a Topic:
1. “Let’s Chat” Benches
2. Access to Services (Transportation, technology)
3. Access to a Range of Housing Options
4. Niagara-wide Forum on a ‘big’ topic (eg. healthy aging as a
lifelong pursuit)
5. Planning for Seniors Month 2020 – taking a common
approach
6. Other (?)
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Wrap-Up
Next Steps
Lunch and Networking
Thank you to the
West Lincoln Age-Friendly Advisory Committee!
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