Edmonton’s Aging in Place Community Initiatives Demonstration Project

1. Edmonton’s Aging in Place Community Initiatives Demonstration Project June 22, 2011

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW Introductions Project Overview Work Completed to Date Future Plans

3. INTRODUCTIONS Debbie Dundass (Project Supervisor) Rosalie Gelderman (MW Coordinator) Shelley Sabo (SE Coordinator)

4. PROJECT OVERVIEW • City of Edmonton’s Aging in Place Proposal received funding approval from Alberta Health and Wellness May 1, 2010 • Project timelines extended to March 31, 2012 without additional funding • Report to be written by June 2012

5. Aging In Place Project Scope “Aging in Place” is defined as helping to support seniors to remain in their homes in the community, for as long as they wish and are safety able to do so. Community-based initiatives to support aging in place, which includes “neighbors helping neighbors” approaches.

6. Aging In Place Project Scope Risk Factors: Transportation Social Isolation Information/Referral Home Supports

7. Demonstration Sites • SE Edmonton Site • Seniors over 75 years • Living in their homes, in six neighbourhoods: • Holyrood • Ottewell • Terrace/ Forest Heights • Capilano • Fulton Place • Gold Bar

8. SE Site

9. Demonstration Sites • Mill Woods Site • Focuses on the needs of older immigrant seniors living on their own or with family • Immigrant seniors aged 65 years and over with language and cultural barriers • Includes Mill Woods and surrounding neighbourhoods

10. Mill Woods Site

11. Project Structure

12. Key Partners/ Stakeholders • 90 + stakeholders • City of Edmonton (Community Services including Fire, Police, Transportation, Library, City Council) • Health (AHS, Homecare, Good Samaritan, Elder Care, Primary Care Network) • Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council • Senior Centres (SAGE, SEESA, Mill Woods Seniors Activity Centre) • Seniors Groups (AB Caregivers, Meals on Wheels, SCAS, local groups) • Community Leagues (SE Edmonton and Area Council) • Community Groups (Faith-based groups, AMA, Lions Club) • Multicultural groups (Multicultural Health Brokers, Welcome Centre, Multicultural Women and Seniors, Council of India)

13. Project Focus Community development approach Finding and working with community partners Build upon community strengths/ resources Informal and formal initiatives must address risk factors Sustainable initiatives “Age friendly” communities Learning's will be tracked via a developmental evaluation

14. Initial Learnings about Mill Woods Site • Very complex site in Mill Woods • 10+ languages and many cultural groups • Cultural groups/ seniors groups/ other community partners were not well-connected • Takes time to build relationships (relationship-trust-credibility)

16. Initial Learnings about Mill Woods Site • Many needs (specific cultural groups, immigrant populations and seniors-related needs) • More seniors are living with extended family/ need family initiatives to support seniors • Need a variety of approaches (general and targeted)

17. Initial Learnings about Mill Woods site • Key Issues: • Social Isolation (especially women) • Lack of resource information (language and literacy challenges) • Culturally appropriate meal delivery • Culturally appropriate support to caregivers • Transportation (ETS mini bus, group outings, free or low cost door-through-door service) • Low Incomes, especially sponsored seniors not able to apply for OAS/GIS • Elder Abuse • More cultural awareness by all community resource providers

18. Initial Learnings about Southeast Site • Many older seniors are the original home owners (many for 50 yrs.+) especially in Ottewell • Many live alone or are care-giving for their spouse • “Neighbour helping neighbour” difficult to achieve when younger families are few • Adult children & caregivers overextended • Community leagues in area are supportive and willing to help

19. Initial Learnings about Southeast Site • Insufficient outreach services (SEESA has high caseload) • High demand on health services (walk in’s at public health office) • Door-through-door transportation services in high demand • Housing options are limited – need to move out of neighbourhood • Professionals work in isolation - SE Interagency being established

20. Learnings about Southeast Site • Key Issues • Lack of resource information • Decline of Capilano Mall as a hub • Lack of transportation options (no community bus in three northern neighbourhoods) • Safety issues – especially fraud • Home support (especially yard and snow services) • Community Leagues have willingness to help seniors but need to know how to begin

21. COMPLETED WORK

22. Other Highlights • Mill Woods Site • MOW now offers Halal meals and extended frozen meal service in MW • Joint Potlucks between Senior Groups is fostering intercultural understanding • Transportation Forum • Faces of Mill Woods, art project shown at Creative Age Art Show

23. Highlights • Southeast Site • Two “It Takes a Village to Age in Place” Workshops • Transportation Forum • Capilano Mall Seniors Resource Fair • Age Friendly Grocery store audits • SAGE - Snow Busters Program • Community League senior liaisons

24. Artwork created Web site developed Print media - Edmonton Examiner/ Edmonton Journal/ Community Newspapers “Edmonton This Week” CHED radio Info fairs – Connections 2011, Capilano Fair, Africa Connect Media response to events Communication

25. 2011/ 2012 MILL WOODS PLANS 1. Transportation Community Mini Bus/ ETS education Promote Volunteer Assisted Driving Programs Promote Driving Angel Program/ Social Marketing (encourage volunteer drivers) Explore other transportation models

26. 2011/ 2012 MILL WOODS PLANS 2. Social Isolation • AGEless Pursuits (Active Giving Engaged Seniors) • Caregiver support for Indo-Canadian community • Transportation to Social programs/ outreach

27. 2011/ 2012 MILL WOODS PLANS 3. Information/ Referral • Exhibition in a Box • How best to package resources and information to immigrant seniors • Computer summer training camps • Mobilizing for Action Training

28. 2011/ 2012 MILL WOODS PLANS • Home Support • Ethnic Meals being prepared at MOW • Promote SCAS/SATS • Promote Snow Angels/ social marketing • Summary of seniors entitlements (related to sponsorship) • Promote Assisted Waste Collection • Fire Safety and Falls Prevention presentations

29. 2011/ 2012 SOUTHEAST PLANS • Transportation • ETS community minibus improvements • Recruit/ encourage volunteers • Promote SCAS Driving Program • Promote Driving Angel Program

30. 2011/ 2012 SOUTHEAST PLANS 2. Social Isolation • Enhance Lamplighter program, build on It Takes A Village To Age in Place Workshops • Neighbourhood Watch - Wisdom Crew – recognition of seniors being eyes on the street • Explore capacity of faith community • Strengthen existing seniors groups

31. 2011/ 2012 SOUTHEAST PLANS 3. Home Supports Snow Busters/ partnership with community groups Partner with Snow Angels coordinator Explore potential of developmentally disabled groups to partner with SCAS Promote Assisted Waste Collection Promote presentations on falls prevention and fire safety

32. 2011/ 2012 SOUTHEAST PLANS 4. Other • Community Leagues – develop job description for seniors liaison • Promote “adopt-a-senior” concept • Connect with service providers & link to new SE interagency – concept of ‘seniors info’ meeting

33. EVALUATION Learning Team established Developmental approach to capture learning’s Record project outcomes – both quantitative and qualitative information Stories will be captured from many perspectives