Committed To Becoming More Age-Friendly
City of Greater Sudbury Canada
COVID-19 has affected our community immensely, having faced many challenges, yet the Age-Friendly Working Group surged forward and adapted the growth and actions to further the City’s Community Plan.
As of 2021, age-friendly strategies continued to be implemented throughout the city. These include expanding resources available for older adults during the pandemic to maintain active social status and decrease isolation, all while maintaining overall health and safety. An example of this is that The ParkSide Older Adult Centre began virtual Zoom activities, such as; drawing, painting and a variety of fitness classes to help individuals over the age of 50 maintain physical and mental health. Another example would be the yearly Keeping Seniors Warm Initiative that ensures seniors have adequate clothing to combat cold northern winter months.
The City also organizes monthly Seniors Advisory Panel Meetings and regular Age-Friendly Community Strategy/Action Plan meetings. Between 40 and 60 agencies, older adults, Post Secondary Institutions, and community members join in regularly to advise and bring forth issues and opportunities of interest so action can take place. During COVID, a community call out was made for the need to assist vulnerable older adults with critical resources as local Geriatricians and hospitals were seeing a decline in health with those presenting in their clinics and emergency departments. In response, community partners collaborated and created an informative PDF and weblink to provide a one-step guide for individuals to access crucial community resources resources (ie) home care, social & health services, meal & medication delivery, transportation, etc… As well, media blitzes were put together with the Mayor, local Geriatrician and public health to educate older adults on the need to maintain their health during the pandemic. This too was successful.
The Age-Friendly working group also created an asset map and an older adults specific web page which includes links to community agencies, partners and others that provide programs and services to older adults which has been identified as being a great resource to community.
Despite the hardships due to the pandemic, partnership with Laurentian University has been active for research opportunities and active membership of the Northern Ontario Age-Friendly Community Network. Active meeting members have been working collaboratively to further assist in our exponential growth towards an age-friendly community.
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