Linking Seniors’ Services Event

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

Linking_Seniors_ServicesSAC members Eddy Elmer, Eva Wadolna, Sharon Fenton, Dellie Lidyard, and Clemencia Gómez had a great time representing the Committee at the fourth annual Linking Seniors’ Services event.

Sponsored by the Vancouver Foundation, this day-long event at the Roundhouse Community Centre was a gathering of professionals from various senior-serving organizations throughout Vancouver. The event was an opportunity for professionals to meet one another and facilitate co-operation between their respective organizations. The theme of this year’s event was “Working Collaboratively in a Changing Landscape.”

Deputy Mayor Raymond Louie joined Councillor Tony Tang and SAC members to kick off the event by reading an official proclamation to recognize B.C. Seniors’ Week.

Isobel Mackenzie, B.C.’s new Seniors’ Advocate, and Sandra Gebhardt of the 411 Seniors Centre Society delivered keynote speeches. Following this, Eric Kowalski of the West End Seniors’ Network; Jude Morrison of Haro Park Complex Care; and Bonnie O’Sullivan of QMUNITY provided an update on Aging Out, a two-year public education and policy development project to increase inclusion among LGBTQ adults in assisted living and residential care.

After visiting service providers’ tables and discussing the latest in seniors’ programming, participants were treated to a dance performance on the plaza. Following this were a series of roundtable discussions about best practices for program delivery.

Photos by Eddy Elmer

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SAC Applauds TransLink for Hearing Our Concerns and Making $1 Million Commitment to HandyDART

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

HandyDART_3SAC chairwoman Chris Morrissey was on the Bill Good Show this Tuesday to discuss the $1 million in additional funding that TransLink has pledged for HandyDART service this year.

“This will have a major impact on seniors,” said Ms. Morrissey. “Three-quarters of HandyDART users are seniors, and the freeze that’s been on all transit budgets for years has had a devastating impact on seniors using HandyDART, whose numbers are rising when funds have been frozen. This TransLink measure will significantly increase the number of rides for seniors who can’t drive or take the bus, and will make a difference to countless seniors.”

TransLink held consultations with seniors and disabilities groups last year and they heard our most important message: that HandyDART is at crisis levels and that TransLink must increase the overall number of rides. They also responded positively to our suggestion that there be an increase in the number of subsidized taxi rides for seniors and persons with disabilities when HandyDART shuttles are not appropriate or are unavailable.

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Healthy City Strategy Idea Lab

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

IMG_2812Eddy Elmer and Eva Wadolna had a great time representing SAC at the Healthy City Strategy Idea Lab.

Eddy’s idea to start a Dementia Detectives program to train apartment managers to recognize and assist tenants with cognitive impairment was well-received by his group!

 

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SAC Motion Regarding Cuts to United Way Funding

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

ageing-alone (1)The United Way of the Lower Mainland recently announced that it is cutting $1.65 million in funding to 31 seniors’ groups, many of whom rely on these funds to administer programs to prevent and ameliorate social isolation and loneliness.

Social isolation and loneliness are major risk factors for physical and mental health problems, as well as early death—risk factors on par with, or greater than, other risk factors.

The Seniors’ Advisory Committee has therefore passed a motion calling on Council to ask the Province to cover the United Way’s funding shortfall so that critical programs to prevent and combat isolation and loneliness are not eliminated.

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Multicultural Festival at South Granville Seniors’ Centre

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

Many thanks to the South Granville Seniors’ Centre for inviting SAC members to the fourth annual Seniors’ Multicultural Festival.

In attendance were Eddy Elmer, Eva Wadolna, and Councillor Tony Tang, the Committee’s liaison.

We enjoyed amazing food and live entertainment from many different countries. It was great to see so many people coming together for this lively community event.

Many thanks to South Granville’s executive director and SAC member, Clemencia Gomez, for organizing the festival.

Photos by Eddy Elmer

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SAFER Benefits Increase After SAC Request

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

BC_HousingEarlier last year, SAC called on Council to ask the Province of British Columbia to increase the subsidy for adults participating in the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters program (SAFER) administered by BC Housing. The request was made in response to the growing gap between low-income seniors’ monthly rent and their SAFER subsidy.

On March 12, our Council liaison, Councillor Tony Tang, brought forward a motion calling on Council to ask the Province to increase the SAFER subsidy limit. Council unanimously passed the motion, which was subsequently endorsed by the Lower Mainland Local Government Association and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM).

We are pleased to announce that the Province has responded to this request and has increased the SAFER subsidy limit. The increase is lower than we would have liked, but we are nonetheless pleased that the Province considered our request and provided some kind of increase.

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B.C. Appoints Canada’s First Seniors’ Advocate

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Eddy Elmer
BC_Seniors_Advocate

Isobel Mackenzie, B.C.’s first Seniors Advocate, with MLA Ralph Sultan (l) and Health Minister Terry Lake (r)

The Committee is delighted to hear that the Government of British Columbia has appointed Isobel Mackenzie as Canada’s first Seniors’ Advocate.

According to a press release from the the Ministry of Health, “Ms. Mackenzie will have a broad mandate to monitor and review system-wide issues affecting the well-being of seniors and raise awareness about resources available to them.

“The Advocate will also make recommendations to government and those who deliver seniors’ services related to health care, personal care, housing, transportation and income support.”

The Seniors Advisory Committee has long recommended the appointment of a seniors’ advocate in this province. We look forward to working with Ms. Mackenzie when her appointment begins March 31, 2014.

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SAC Meeting at West End Seniors’ Network, March 21

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

Barclay ManorWe will be hosting another outreach meeting on Friday, March 21, 9:30am-12:30pm at Barclay Manor, home of the West End Seniors’ Network. Barclay Manor is at 1448 Barclay Street, at Barclay and Nicola.

If you have any aging-related comments or concerns you would like to bring to the attention of City Council, please come to this meeting. Light refreshments will be served.

The following is a brief agenda:

10:00: Short SAC meeting, with SAC member and WESN board member Eva Wadolna speaking about transit issues in West End

10:30: Representatives from Translink with overview of how to use the new Compass Card

11:00: Screening of I’d Rather Stay, a short film about aging-in-place, followed by a brief discussion

11:25: Audience input on civic issues affecting older adults

12:00: Visit from Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA for Vancouver-West End, who will provide an update about provincial government actions relevant to older adults

We hope to see you there. Please share this invitation with people in your networks (PDF poster for distribution).

Update: Good turnout!

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Regional Roundtable on Social Isolation of Seniors

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

loneliness_benchCommunications & Outreach chair Eddy Elmer represented SAC at the Regional Roundtable on Social Isolation at the Morris Wosk Centre for Dialogue. The event was hosted by the National Seniors Council as part of its 2013-14 mandate to study the causes, consequences, and potential solutions for isolation of Canadian seniors.

Social isolation and loneliness—the subjective experience of social isolation—are among the strongest risk factors for morbidity and mortality (see also Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2014). According to the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State for Seniors, “That’s why it’s so important to address this issue by listening to seniors and consulting with key players from the non-profit, public and private sectors.”

As part of its consultation process, the NSC conducted a series of regional roundtables involving targeted stakeholders, experts, and academics. Participants were asked a series of questions, including:

  • What factors increase the risk of a senior becoming socially isolated?
  • What factors decrease the risk of a senior becoming socially isolated?
  • What promising approaches (or best practices) exist to help prevent and/or reduce the social isolation of seniors?
  • What more could be done to help prevent and/or reduce the social isolation of seniors?
  • What could the Government of Canada do to help prevent and/or reduce the social isolation of seniors in Canada?

The roundtable in Vancouver was well-attended and participants provided valuable information for the NSC’s final report on social isolation. A scoping review of the literature on this topic is currently underway.

Mr. Elmer, whose PhD research topic is social isolation, shared the results of the report with the SAC and strongly urged members to keep the issue in mind when implementing the City’s Age-Friendly Action Plan and applying for Global Age-Friendly City status from the World Health Organization.

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Statement on Casa Mia Rezoning Application

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

Casa MiaSAC has met with City staff to discuss the proposed rezoning of the the Casa Mia property in Southlands to include a 62-bed Community Care Facility for older adults.

Although SAC welcomes additional housing and services for older adults across the entire spectrum of care, we have a major reservation about this redevelopment.

As has been raised in our submissions concerning the Pearson Dogwood Redevelopment, we believe that the Green House Project model of housing is superior to institutional housing for seniors and people with disabilities. We are opposed to the development of any new institutions, which by their very size and nature tend to “warehouse” people.

We agree with Vancouver Coastal Health that the majority of residents in this building will likely require round-the-clock care. This does not, however, preclude following the Green House Model. Although VCH has indicated that they will allow residents to participate in everyday activities, this is only one aspect of the model. Other aspects include the following:

  • small units of 10-12 residents
  • private rooms (including private bathrooms) for each resident
  • communal living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms, in which staff and residents can eat together and socialize
  • meals freshly prepared onsite rather than pre-cooked shipped in from elsewhere
  • use of “total care workers” who are trained in multiple areas to manage a range of daily activities from cooking, to housekeeping, to care (the versatility of these workers helps reduce anxiety, anger, or confusion among residents because it limits the number of people going in and out of the facility)
  • freedom from rigid schedules (e.g., fixed times for eating or bathing)

Because the proposal for the Casa Mia facility does not include any of these elements, we cannot endorse this rezoning application in its current state.

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Update: VCH Agrees to Our Recommendations for Dogwood Lodge

Posted on February 10, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

Dogwood LodgeOn February 5, Council unanimously approved an amended version of the Pearson Dogwood Redevelopment Policy Statement.

We are pleased that Vancouver Coastal Health has heard our concerns about the original statement and has agreed to most of our recommendations.

Among the amendments most relevant to Dogwood Lodge (the complex housing older adults):

  • the number of proposed residential care beds will be increased from 113 to 150 to meet the demands of an aging population
  • the new complex will follow the Green House Project model by creating small units with 10-12 residents to foster a home-like environment
  • the facility will consider using “total care workers”
  • staff will work with the Applicant and the Seniors Advisory Committee to give special consideration to the housing needs of low-income seniors at the rezoning stage
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SAC Plays Key Role in New Taxi Driver Training Program

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

taxi_signThe SAC is pleased to announce the introduction of ‘Ask-Listen-Act’, an enhanced training program that helps educate taxi drivers about providing appropriate services for older adults and people with disabilities.

SAC’s Transportation and Mobility Subcommittee, in partnership with the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee, was instrumental in informing the curriculum for the new program, which is among the first of its kind in Canada.

Training for Vancouver’s taxi companies–Black Top Checker Cabs, Maclures Cabs, Vancouver Taxi, and Yellow Cab–will launch February 3. SAC looks forward to seeing how the training is received by taxi drivers and how effective it is in helping them provide better service to their clients.

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Council Defers Decision on Pearson Dogwood Redevelopment Policy Statement After SAC Objections

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

Pearson Dogwood RedevelopmentVancouver City Council voted today to refer the Pearson Dogwood Redevelopment Policy Statement back to staff for further discussion and revision.

Both the Seniors Advisory Committee and the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee have been critical of this policy statement because it appears to ignore the needs of seniors and people with disabilities. Our concerns have been described in a series of motions, which are included in Appendices “D” and “F” of the policy statement. Our three main concerns are as follows:

  1. The proposed redevelopment will not be a “campus of care” for older adults. A campus of care provides a range of housing and care options in one location, from independent housing to assisted living and complex care. This allows older adults to remain in one location as their care needs change. The proposed redevelopment does not include any new housing or care options (e.g., supportive housing) beyond the 113 residential care beds that currently exist in the Dogwood Lodge location. This is troubling given the growing population of older adults and the City’s commitment to make Vancouver an age-friendly city, of which aging-in-place is a key element.
  2. The proposed redevelopment does not embrace the Green House Project model for its residential care component, opting instead for institutional-style living (the differences between these types of residential housing are listed in Motion 2E of Appendix “F” in the policy statement). Both SAC and PDAC are adamantly opposed to the continuation or expansion of institutionalization in Vancouver, as this is not a best practice for aging adults or persons with disabilities who require residential care.
  3. The proposed redevelopment does not include a sufficient amount of affordable housing for seniors—units that do not exceed 30% of household income, as per the definition of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

We have called on the City to ask staff to work with us and other stakeholders to revise this proposal so that it better acknowledges and meets the needs of vulnerable older adults (recognizing, of course, that the City has limited jurisdiction over projects involving healthcare, which is the purview of the Province).

For media coverage of our presentations at the January 22 meeting of the City’s Standing Committee on Planning, Transportation and Environment (video: part 1, part 2), see the following:

Dogwood Pearson Policy Statement: Human dignity vs. development plans, Vancouver Observer, January 22

Vancouver delays decision on Pearson Dogwood policy after redevelopment plan draws concerns, Georgia Straight, January 23

Critic calls Pearson proposal ‘ethically wrong’, Vancouver Courier, January 23

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Vancouver Asks Canada Post Not to End Door-to-Door Mail Delivery Pending Further Consultation

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

Canada Post TruckAt its regular meeting today, Vancouver City Council voted unanimously to ask Canada Post not to eliminate home mail delivery—the first G7 to make such a move—pending further consultation with communities across Canada (see video).

Our Committee was shocked to learn about Canada Post’s surprise decision to replace door-to-door delivery with community mailboxes. Aside from serious concerns about the security of these public mailboxes, we are at a loss to understand how older adults with health or mobility problems will be able to retrieve their mail if they must walk several blocks in the rain, on ice-covered sidewalks, or along busy streets. Contrary to Canada Post’s insistence that seniors will welcome the exercise from getting their mail, this will pose a serious safety hazard and therefore prevent seniors from retrieving important mail (e.g., pension cheques).

We are dismayed by those who think that this is not a serious issue, and that older adults with mobility or health problems are already well looked after by family members or formal caregivers. Many people fail to understand that older adults often live in abject isolation and do not receive help from others. Even those who do receive help may not be willing to entrust others with their mail (e.g., giving their mailbox keys to paid caregivers).

The Seniors Advisory Committee is happy that Council has drawn attention to this important issue and we will offer whatever help we can as staff investigates the specific ways in which this these cuts will affect older adults.

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Participants Needed for UBC Exercise Study

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Eddy Elmer

UBC Exercise StudyDr. Samantha Harden is a postdoctoral fellow working with Dr. Mark Beauchamp, an associate professor of kinesiology at UBC. Dr. Beauchamp has received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to conduct a randomized control trial to increase exercise among older adults.

They have partnered with the YMCA at three locations in the Lower Mainland (Surrey, Langara, and downtown Vancouver) to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of group-based exercise programs. They aim to recruit 540 adults aged 65+ over the course of 2 years (270 adults in 2014 and the same in 2015).

Information about the study can be found here: http://goal.kin.educ.ubc.ca  Please share this website with your networks.

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Harden by email (samantha.harden@ubc.ca) or phone (604-822-9140).

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Congratulations to Jill Weiss, Winner of 2013 Access & Inclusion Award

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Eddy Elmer
Jill Weiss accepting 2013 Access & Inclusion Award

Jill with Mayor Robertson (click to enlarge)

Many congratulations to our colleague, Jill Weiss, who won this year’s Access & Inclusion Award from the City of Vancouver.

Jill is the chair of the City of Vancouver Persons with Disabilities Advisory Committee and is also a member of the SAC’s Housing and Transportation/ Mobility subcommittees.

Jill has spent many years tirelessly advocating for the rights of disabled persons to live and participate fully in their communities and not to be consigned to institutions.

Many have benefited tremendously from Jill’s advocacy and the SAC looks forward to many more years working with her.

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SAC Passes Motion to Improve Street Lighting

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Eddy Elmer

street_lamp_postThe Committee has been very concerned about poor lighting levels across the city. Tardy replacement of burnt out street lamps and lack of sufficient lampposts along sidewalks and intersections is a serious impediment to the safety and mobility of older adults.

We have received complaints from many residents that they feel unsafe walking at night because they cannot see the sidewalk in front of them and are afraid of tripping and falling. Others are worried that dark sidewalks and side streets may facilitate criminal activity (e.g., assaults, robberties).

If Vancouver aspires to become an “age-friendly city” as defined by the World Health Organization, it is imperative that we provide adequate street lighting. To help remedy this situation, the Committee unanimously passed a motion (page 4 in Minutes) to call on Council and City Staff to

1. Institute a more effective and expeditious process to  identify and repair non-functioning street lights, and

2. Install new lighting, especially sidewalk-level lighting, in poorly-lit areas.

The Committee will continue working with other interested advisory committees (e.g,. Women’s and LGBTQ Advisory Committees) in making this a priority issue.

Update (Deceber 13, 2013): The Women’s and LGBTQ Advisory Committees have officially endorsed our motion (Women’s AC minutes; LGBTQ AC minutes),  and our Council liaison, Tony Tang, has informed us that he will bring the motion forward to Council.

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West End Seniors’ Network Responds to West End Community Plan

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Eddy Elmer

City of Vancouver West End Community Plan 2013The City of Vancouver recently released its draft of the City’s first-ever community plan for the West End.

This plan will help shape the future of the West End for the next 30 years and focuses on neighbourhood character, housing, local business, heritage, transportation, and parking.

The West End Seniors’ Network (WESN), in co-operation with Eva Wadolna from our committee, has worked closely with City staff to help ensure that the plan addresses the needs of older adults. The WESN has reviewed this draft very carefully and, although it is generally supportive of the plan, it has raised some specific concerns around affordable housing, transportation, and provisions for senior-specific services, especially the development of a purpose-built seniors’ centre in the West End.

The Seniors’ Advisory Committee has read the WESN’s report and supports all of its recommendations. We hope that Council will seriously consider including some or all of these recommendations in the final version of the West End Community Plan.

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Kitsilano/Hadden Park Bicycle/Pedestrian Pathway: Incorrect Reports

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Eddy Elmer

Reports have been circulating that the Seniors’ Advisory Committee supports the construction of the separated bicycle/pedestrian paths through Hadden and Kits Beach parks. These reports are in error. The SAC has not been formally consulted about this project and, as such, is unable to take a position on the matter at this time. This morning the SAC passed a motion calling on Parks Board staff to make a formal presentation to the SAC and discuss how this new path will affect older adults. We have also asked our Parks Board liaison, Commissioner Melissa DeGenova, to inform Parks Board staff and commissioners that we have not yet taken any position on this matter and that any reports to the contrary should be retracted.

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BC Association of Community Response Networks

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Eddy Elmer

BC Association of Community Response Networks

At our last SAC meeting, Barbara Kirby from the British Columbia Association of Community Response Networks gave a PowerPoint presentation about the role of community response networks.

Community response networks (CRNs) are groups of concerned community members who co-ordinate networks of government and community agencies, as well as local businesses, to help ensure that adults experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, abuse, neglect, and self-neglect do not “fall between the cracks.”

The CRNs help ensure that city- and province-wide agencies are aware of, and work together with, community-specific agencies to provide services that are responsive to the unique cultural and individual needs of different communities.

A copy of Ms. Kirby’s PowerPoint presentation can be found here.

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