Helping seniors, isolated and minorities age well

KITCHENER — The committee that drafted a new action plan to make the city more friendly to seniors says there are still many challenges to make Kitchener a welcoming place where all adults can age well.

City councillors unanimously approved the plan at a committee meeting Monday. But they also heard that the city isn’t doing a great job serving seniors who are on limited incomes or who are isolated.

“People who are coming to the (city’s) three older adult centres, they know about all the programs,” said Doug McKlusky, a member of the committee that drafted a new action plan for seniors.

“It’s how we reach those that are not engaged that’s missing. We’re not reaching a lot of disengaged people on the fringes,” he said.

One group that the city isn’t reaching properly is seniors from minority groups, he said, adding that mosques and churches that serve particular ethnic communities would be a good resource for the city to tap into.

Another key issue is affordability. Elderly women in poverty have a particularly difficult time and could benefit from inexpensive, accessible programs that are easy to get to by bus.

“How we engage those, it’s a hard one, but that is a group we do not serve well,” McKlusky said.

Simple things — such as ensuring all parks have wide, level trails, plenty of benches and shade, and water fountains, or that streets are well lit and curb cuts are obvious — would go a long way to making the city more accessible to all and would make it much easier for more vulnerable seniors to connect with the wider community, he said.

A committee worked for 18 months to consult with seniors, and used a $50,000 provincial grant to especially reach seniors who are socially isolated, with surveys delivered by Meals on Wheels, and visits to seniors in retirement homes.

It recommends the city work to inform seniors, make its programs and its facilities accessible to all, and create an inviting inclusive environment. The city’s seniors’ advisory committee will report annually to council on how well the plan is being implemented.