Webinar Announcement: "Housing and Home Care: An Older LGBTQ2 Person's Perspective" (14 March 2018, 12 PM EDT)

The IFA - in partnership with SAGE and Egale Canada - are proud to present the latest webinar in the series on older LGBTQ2 people. "Housing and Home Care: An Older LGBTQ2 Person's Perspective" will be taking place on 14 March 2018 from 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT.  This webinar will discuss the fundamental importance of safe and affordable housing for an ageing LGBTQ2 population.

This webinar will be moderated by SAGE's Director of National Housing Initiative, Mr Kelly Kent and will feature Dr John Ecker (Affiliate Researcher, Centre for Community and Educational Services, University of Ottawa and Director of Research and Evaluation, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness) and Dr Andrea Daley (Director and Associate Professor, School of Social Work, York University) as panelists.

To register for this webinar, click here:

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7776960481373813763

For further information, contact Ms Hannah Girdler ( hgirdler@ifa-fiv.org)

IFA 14th Global Conference on Ageing 

*MASTER CLASS ADDED*

The Master Class  Concepts of Ageism: Arguments in favour of the need for protections will  be held at the Chelsea Hotel on August 7, 2018, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  Click here to read the full session abstract.

Questions about Master Classes can be directed to IFA Conference and Events Manager Ms Tarah McMaster ( tmcmaster@ifa-fiv.org). 

"Do you know what? Time goes by... so we must spend it right". This is the message left by the seniors from Alfândega da Fé in the new 2018 calendar. For the second year, the elderly were the protagonists of photo shoot to create a calendar that aims to break up with the stereotypes associated with elder people.

 

The calendar is already in the second edition and has been a success. There are more and more seniors taking part and even expectations have been created for next year. In Alfândega da Fé, a small municipality in Portugal, it can be said that elderly are more daring, more irreverent and dynamic.

 

Through the Senior University, elder people have participated in activities that are not normally targeted to their age group. The main goal is promote self-esteem by providing them with unique experiences while promoting active aging. In an increasingly aging county and with more and more elderly people living alone, this type of activity is a way to combat isolation and social exclusion and other problems that are commonly associated with aging.

 

In Alfândega da Fé it is the elderly themselves who say:

 

"You know what? Time goes by ... We know! So we must spend it right. With the advancement of the years we come to assume different roles and characters. We know that with the arrival of the elderly we must redouble our care. We have to relax more and enjoy the good life has to offer us. Book more time for the "social self" and let the younger ones work! We have also been young and it is so good to relive our memories full of nostalgia. We must keep our traditions and pass them from generation to generation. But we must also continue to celebrate this dance that is life to the rhythm of the heart. Because if we get here, we are superheroes of the day to day and we have to keep ourselves active! And why not be more radical? Why not be bolder? Life has proved us that there are no impossible! We have so much to teach ... But we always continue to learn throughout our lives. And so we must immortalize good moments, in photographic records like these." 

- message of the senior calendar 2018

Innovative Approaches to Community Transport in Leeds

Submitted by Carole Clarke, Leeds City Council

Centre for Ageing Better's partnership with Leeds City Council and Leeds Older People's Forum supports the City's ambition to be ''the best city to grow old in'. Transport was identified as a priority and in conjunction with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, a new project to explore innovative approaches to delivering community transport has been commissioned.

Older people in Leeds told us they find shorter journeys between communities, or within communities challenging, since most public transport comes in and out of the city centre, but doesn't always connect the areas between.

When visiting families they rely on lifts, taxis (where affordable) or don't go at all.  Journeys to medical appointments are even more difficult, and appointments are missed due to transport difficulties.

Community transport offers an opportunity to address some of these challenges. Typically, community transport providers, volunteer car schemes or mini busses, offer flexible, door-to-door services. However, available community transport is generally under-utilised, and uncoordinated across services, with vehicles being left idle for long periods of time.

The partnership has employed transport consultants STC to assess the supply of community transport vehicles, to better understand how much and when they are currently used, where there might be potential to organise them differently and more efficiently and where there are gaps in provision that could be filled.

They will consider whether technology could enable better management, scheduling and booking of community transport across the many providers and schemes that currently exist.

 

Contact joanne.volpe@ageing-better.org.uk with any questions on the study.

For updates on this work follow @ageing_better, sign for Ageing Better's newsletter on their website www.ageing-better.org.uk  Look for updates from Leeds Older People's Forum and Leeds City Council's website.

Age Friendly Olds, Alberta, Canada

The Age Friendly Committee in Olds, Alberta, Canada has finished reviewing its survey results.  The survey, based on WHO, federal and provincial guidelines.   Olds with a population of 9,000, is a rural community located close to the main highway between two cities.  The Olds Institute supported the formation of an Age Friendly committee in recognition of our  significant senior population.  Olds Town Council is supportive of the committee its survey. 

The Olds College and Olds Regional Exhibition offer additional community services and facilities such as a performing arts centre, a state of the art fitness centre, and an indoor dome for large animal events.   We are fortunate to have an active treatment hospital with seventeen full and/or part time physicians.  Our town offers many activities for seniors including walking paths, parks, swimming pool and a curling and ice skating rink.   

However, the survey completed by 210 people, identified gaps which make life more difficult for some seniors some of which are identified below. 

Completing the survey was an exciting opportunity to hear about senior's issues.  It provides an objective information for which the whole community can determine what and how to best implement services, etc. for future senior citizens.  

Manitoba Association of Senior Centres (MASC)

Submitted by Connie Newman, Manitoba Association of Senior Centres

MASC is a provincial focal point to facilitate communication, networking and planning among senior centres and senior drop in centres. The Association also assists in the development of senior centres and collaborates with other senior serving organizations.

No staff for 7 member centres (all volunteers)

Nineteen (10) had staff both part time and full time.

No staff for 8 member centres (all volunteers)

Eighteen (18) had staff both part time and full time.

The Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation

In January 2016, twelve demographically diverse suburban towns in NJ began designing and implementing a process to become more age-friendly.  Private foundations awarded grants to local non-profit organizations to support project coordinators to orchestrate progress toward age-friendly goals identified during a planning phase. Project leaders are continuing to build partnerships with community sectors, raising the visibility of older adults while improving livability for all ages. They are connecting with state and national organizations to bring promising ideas to their communities. Learning sessions are convened to build knowledge and skills on special topics and to improve communities' capacity to achieve their goals. The sessions highlight each community's successes and share strategies through peer learning, and will continue over the three-year grant initiative.

 

Investment in these communities - in terms of funding, time, and effort - is drawing interest from surrounding towns, with some developing their own age-friendly initiatives. Changes are taking place in the way communities incorporate the needs and desires of all ages in their planning and development. Ultimately, the goal is to integrate successful elements of these innovations into policies and system-wide practices.

 

Flexibility to capitalize on opportunities, and coordinating goals with other community groups, is key to successful implementation. While conducting research on the initiatives, Dr. Emily Greenfield noted, "I think the 'secret sauce' of age-friendly is not just getting things done, but getting things done in partnership with organizations that can carry on the work after the age-friendly grant sunsets."

 

Collective policy and advocacy goals include: building public will around age-friendly issues; influencing local officials on implementing Complete Streets and pedestrian safety; working with town planners to incorporate smart growth land-use planning principles - designing communities that work for non-drivers, with varied affordable housing and transportation options; and seeking opportunities for public-private partnerships for perpetuation. 

Raising awareness through creativity: Life in Pictures short film project 2017, Perth Australia

Submitted by Claudia Reilly, Department of Communities

The Government of Western Australia, through the Department of Communities piloted a short film competition in 2017 called Life in Pictures to raise awareness about ageism and to promote positive messages about getting older.

Life in Pictures was a creative collaboration between the Department of Communities, and local creative and film organisations, the Revelation Perth International Film Festival and Screenwest.

The competition was well received by the community. Almost 50 entries were received from across the vast state of Western Australia. The films tackled a range of issues, while conveying strong and positive messages about ageing.

Close to 350 people attended the film screening as part of the 2017 Revelations Perth International Film Festival. At this event, the Western Australian Minister for Seniors and Ageing announced the finalists and winners.

A number of organisations including local governments, schools and key organisations such as the Australian Association on Gerontology welcomed the short films, the messages they promote and the community engagement generated by the project.

The films can be viewed at http://revelationfilmfest.org/film-rev-on-demand.

The Department of Communities is very pleased that the films will be screened at the IFA 14th Global Conference in Toronto.

How to become more age-friendly in Brazil?

Veranópolis, a 20.000 inhabitants' town in southern Brazil, was the first municipality to become more age-friendly through a PPP. In 2015, the energy provider CPFL donated resources to the local Fund of Older Persons, a mechanism that allows companies and individuals to transfer part of the income tax to social projects.

Since then, the Municipal Council for Older People (CMI) together with the Department of Social Development, Housing and Longevity, technical support of the International Longevity Center of Brazil (ILC-BR) and scientific rigor strengthened through the participation of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) develops the project "Veranópolis Cidade Para Todas As Idades" ("Veranópolis, a Town For All Ages").

Through the involvement of the local CMI, which serves as a means to engage older persons in decision-making, an analysis of existing data about servi ces and programs as well as population statistics was undertaken, followed by a field resear ch. A mix of qualitative and quantitative methods allowed citizens to share their expectations and needs. In total, 1.037 people were interviewed, being questioned about positive and negative aspects of living and being older in Veranópolis, addressing a revised set of the Vancouver Protocol's topics: physical environment, housing, transportation, participation, respect and social inclusion, communication and information, learning opportunities, support and care. Security was covered as a crosscutting issue.

In 2016,Veranópolis recognized by theWorld Health Organization (WHO) as a member of the Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities.Based on the research carried out with the population, the CMI and the town hall developed projects that are part of an extensive action plan and have also been integrated in the Town Hall's multiannual strategic plan 2017- 2019. This action plan facilitated the fundraising for projects through the Municipal Fund for Older People. The projects are now being implemented and continuously monitored through the Council.