District of West Vancouver: An Age-Friendly Community is Nourished

Since the District of West Vancouver (District) approved the Dementia Friendly Action Plan in 2017, our Seniors’ Activity Centre and community has become a hub of progressive age-friendly programs and initiatives.

We launched and hosted the Annual North Shore Seniors Health Expo. With a new focus each year, the health expo attracts a wide audience from the Lower Mainland, providing educational seminars and workshops on topical issues, as well as networking opportunities for seniors. The first North Shore Seniors Health Expo focused on Dementia and began with a keynote address featuring Dementia. Over 1000 people attended this inaugural expo.  The 2018 North Shore Seniors Health Expo focused on physical health and featured a keynote address on heathy living and longevity.

Building on the approved Dementia Friendly Action Plan, in 2018 District staff implemented Dementia Awareness training and education for over 500 municipal employees. This training, made possible by a local government grant, empowered staff with skills to recognize, support and help older adults living with Dementia and fosters a community that is inclusive and respectful towards all seniors.

In order to collaborate with different leaders in fostering an age friendly community, the Seniors’ Outreach Committee (Committee) was created in 2019 to connect with vulnerable seniors living in the community. Including representatives from the West Vancouver Police Department, West Vancouver Fire and Rescue, library, local churches, Vancouver Coastal Health, District staff and local seniors, the Committee worked with marginalized seniors living in low-income buildings to offer services, programs, and created a more inclusive community.

A key outcome of the Committee is an indestructible information sheet first responders provide seniors when responding to calls. As well as providing useful health information, the sheet is an invitation to connect with the Seniors’ Activity Centre, outlining the widespread seniors’ services available.

The Committee continues to build programs designed to reach vulnerable seniors, and is launching the Community Navigator Model in 2020. Based on worldwide research, Community Navigators support older adults navigate housing, healthcare, government services with a focus on preventative health and fun. Besides providing essential services, Community Navigators provide mentorship to lonely and isolated seniors, and steer these seniors towards social connections.

To reduce stigma and ageism, intergenerational programs are becoming part of the fabric of the Seniors’ Activity Centre. Local grade school children are partnered with a senior as part of a biography project, and craftsmen from the Seniors’ Activity Centre are visiting schools, teaching children woodworking skills.  Students from local high schools have been supporting seniors with technology education monthly.  Youth Services collaborated with senior craftsman to make paddles for a local First Nations Pulling Together paddling trip with support from West Vancouver Police Department.  In addition to working with the craftsman to build furniture for the youth centre.

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