08 25 2016 Age Friendly Community Committee Agenda
Township of Oro-Medonte
Age Friendly Community Committee
Meeting Agenda
Council Chambers
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Page
1.Agenda Approval:
a) Motion to Approve the Agenda.
2.Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest:
3.Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting:
2 - 4a) Draft Minutes of Age Friendly Community Committee meeting held on
Thursday, June 30, 2016.
4.Deputations:
None.
5.Reports:
5 - 59a) Kevin Beaulieu, Public Interest and Communications Inc., re: Draft - "Older
and Bolder: An Age-Friendly Action Plan for the Township of Oro-Medonte".
6.Communications:
None.
7.Next Meeting Date:
To be determined.
8.Adjournment:
a) Motion to Adjourn.
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OLDERANDBOLDER
AgeFriendlyActionPlanforthe
TownshipofOroMedonte
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TableofContents
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It is not news to Canadian and international communities that the population is aging. As baby
boomers (born between roughly 1946 and 1964) age, and subsequent generations have generally
smaller families, the proportion of our population made up by older adults is increasing. The World
Health Organization projects that the proportion of the global population aged 60 will double from
Eleven per cent in 2006 to twenty-two
per cent by 2050.
This shift has caused policy makers
around the world to ask the question:
how do we create communities that are
more inclusive and accessible to people
as they age? Globally, policy makers are
noting the shift in aging populations and
asking: how do we create communities
that are more inclusive and accessible to
people as they age?
The World Health Organization (WHO)
has recently conducted a large-scale
study of 35 cities around the world and
developed guidelines for communities
to better meet the needs of aging
populations. The guidelines consider
every stage of aging and outline the necessary supports to help individuals age with dignity and
grace. Through this extensive study,
the World Health Organization
determined that there are 8
dimensions that are central to creating
an Age-Friendly Community: housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic
participation and employment, communication and information, community support and health
services, outdoor spaces and buildings, and transportation.
The Township of Oro-Medonte is a geographically large township of 586 square kilometres (3.5
times the size of Barrie) with a small population of about 20,000 residents. Adults aged 65 and older
1
make up sixteen per cent of the total population of Oro-Medonte. Ninety-eight per cent of the
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population is primarily English-speaking, and the most common other languages spoken are French,
German and Polish.
The Township was amalgamated in 1994 from a grouping of smaller communities, and despite
amalgamation, informally retains some of its identity as a grouping of small towns. The Township is
located between larger communities such as Orillia, Midland, and the City of Barrie. This
geographical placement means that residents often travel outside of the Township for events,
activities, shopping and services as there may be more options in neighbouring centres and,
depending on where they live in the Township, they are often closer to them than resources in Oro-
Medonte. The Township is only a short hour-and-a-half drive from the City of Toronto, and has a
long coastline on the scenic Lake Simcoe, making it an ideal place for retirees from the city to settle.
Midland
20km
Orillia
20km
Toronto
Barrie
125km
18km
This report generally refers to Ñolder adults.Ò The term was used throughout the project without
firm definition, allowing participants to self-identify. Some people consider the term ÑseniorsÒ
inadequate. Official definitions vary depending on the context. Although many define a ÑseniorÒ as
65 and older, some programs define it as being 60, or even 55 and older. Some older adults object to
being called a ÑseniorÒ or Ñsenior citizenÒ as they feel it implies more than just an age. Others
embrace the term. Nonetheless, the project is intended to focus on older adults, so this is the term
that was used.
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In order to develop an Age-Friendly Action Plan that represents the needs and priorities of the
many communities in Oro-Medonte, a methodology was developed that best fits the Township.
This methodology included:
Establishing a Steering Committee of community leaders to represent residents
Conducting a paper-based and online survey, and
Facilitating two focus groups.
One of the goals of the Township of Oro-Medonte was to ensure the voice of the community was
central in creating the Age-Friendly Action Plan. In order to achieve this, a Steering Committee was
established of diverse community members, which included active older adults in the community,
government officials, health field workers and people who work at service delivery agencies. The full
list of Steering Committee members can be found in Appendix 1.
The purpose of the group was to oversee the project, ensure timelines were met, engage as many
Oro-Medonte residents as possible in the research, review research gathered and provide feedback
on research gathered. The complete Memorandum of Understanding for this body is in Appendix 2.
The group met once per month for two hours at the Township Council Chambers.
An Age-Friendly Survey was conducted throughout the Township to make providing feedback easy
and accessible for residents. This survey asked questions about priorities in the area as well as gaps
and strengths in supporting adults as they age. The survey was extensive, addressing all eight WHO
dimensions and included statistical questions such as age, gender and income. The full survey is
available in Appendix 3.
After incomplete surveys were sorted, 158 valid surveys were completed by community members of
the Township. This is a strong sample size for the population of Oro-Medonte, which is 20,078. The
results can be considered ninety-two per cent representative of the whole of the population of Oro-
Medonte.
The surveys were distributed widely through existing groups, clubs, and informal networks. It was
available for one and a half months to ensure participants had enough time to fill in responses as
accurately as possible.
Sixty-six per cent of people who filled out the survey are female, which is higher than the
representation in the area for the target age group (fifty per cent of people over the age of 64
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in the Township are female). There was speculation that this participation rate reflects
femaleÔs likelihood to be connected to the community and to be more social.
Twenty-three per cent of those who completed the survey are under the age of 65, which
shows the engagement of this population in the planning of their future. A large proportion
(forty-five per cent of respondents are between the age of 65-74 even though this population
only makes up ten per cent of the areaÔs total population. Thirty-two per cent of respondents
are over the age of 75, even though that age cohort only makes up six per cent of the total
population of the area. These results are due to the targeted distribution of the survey to
ensure a high number of older adults responded.
There was even distribution of respondents among varying income levels, with six per cent
to ten per cent of all respondents in each of the income cohorts, ranging from $10-20,000
per year to over $100,000 per year.
Those who participated in the survey tended to be higher educated than the general
population, with sixteen per cent of participants having completed a post-graduate degree
(higher than bachelorÔs degree) whereas only seven per cent of the population of the area
had completed that level of education. There was underrepresentation in those whose
highest level of education was a lower than a high school diploma, who made up nine per
cent of the survey respondents but makes up sixteen per cent of the population of the
region.
Once the survey was completed, two focus groups were conducted with residents in order to gain a
deeper understanding of priorities identified in the survey. The focus groups helped further the
narratives on individual experiences, developed context for the issues faced by participants, and
allowed space for participants to share insights and build on each otherÔs ideas.
One focus group was open to community members and was a diverse mix of people of different
ages, backgrounds and experiences. The second focus group was held with a pre-existing group of
individuals who are active in community life in Oro-Medonte.
Focus group responses were incorporated into a spreadsheet, organized by interview question.
Patterns in the responses were identified, including: responses that constituted a higher portion of
the responses; responses that deviate from established patterns; and responses that point to specific
trends amongst specific communities.
The findings were summarized from each demographic and compared to each other and the
literature review.
Recommendations have been drafted based on these findings.
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This section explores the themes that emerged from both the survey and focus group responses.
The availability of affordable housing that both meets the needs of people as they age and is in their
community of choice is crucial to an age-friendly community. In order for housing to be age-
friendly, there should be options of transitional housing including apartments, retirement residences,
granny flats, long-term care facilities. Additional supports are required for people who wish to stay
in their home, such as home alterations like grab bars and ramps.
Affordability and availability were both named as the main issues older adults faced in securing
housing in the community. Participants often stated that older adults often live alone in larger
houses. As they age, it becomes increasingly more difficult and expensive for them to maintain and
repair their houses.
The Township offers limited options for individuals to move to affordable housing where the
maintenance is taken care of and other supports were available onsite. The lack of options forces
seniors to leave the area for bigger towns or cities. This experience was somewhat supported by the
survey, in which twenty-eight per cent of respondents lived alone and eight-six percent live in
housing owned by themselves. The chart below displays the balance community members contend
with when thinking about their housing options as they age:
While the majority of respondents can afford their housing and their housing meets their current
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needs, nine per cent cannot afford their current housing while six per cent say their housing does
not meet their current needs. The percentage of people who experience a disparity between their
current housing situation and their actual needs will most likely increase as the population continues
aging and the complexity of their housing requirements and supports similarly increase.
The main issue that came out of this narrative was that there is a lack of appropriate housing stock
for older adults in the Township. Big Cedar was named as one community in the Township that did
have the necessary supports for adults as they age such as maintenance, options for accessible
housing and a strong sense of community, however the affordability of this particular
neighbourhood was questioned.
Participants identified certain communities, such as Big Cedar, as having the necessary supports for
seniors, but also noted that the community was not affordable for most seniors. There is a lack of
affordable seniors housing that provides adequate and ongoing support.
Residents felt that the following are most needed in their communities:
Thirty-nine per cent said they would benefit most from improvements to retirement homes
Thirty-one per cent said they would benefit most from improvements to single-family dwellings
And twenty-eight per cent said they would benefit most from improvements to apartments.
1.Develop a retirement village:
The Township should invest in housing for older adults by developing an area with multiple housing
options such as homes, apartments, retirement homes, and long-term care facilities. Supports and
services should be available in the neighbourhood to best meet the needs of people as they age.
In developing more options for housing the participants would like to consider the following
priorities:
Respondents who said
When considering a move, how important are the following 'Extremely important' or
factors? 'Very important'
Ability to remain independent 96%
Access to shopping (i.e. groceries, retail) 85%
Affordability of housing 84%
Have a home suitable to meet mobility/living needs 84%
Be near health/medical services 79%
Be near friends or family 76%
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Ease/convenience of moving 73%
Be near social activities 66%
Stay in the community I currently live in 63%
Be near public transit 42%
2.Create partnerships and intergenerational support
It was recommended that there should be a student volunteer program with local high
schools that match older adults in the community with high school students needing
volunteer hours. The students could then help the older adult with house maintenance, like
snow shovelling or retrieving mail.
3.Provide support for older adults who wish to age in place
Support should be provided for adults who prefer to remain in their existing homes as they
age but face barriers that may prevent them from doing so. Examples include help with the
cost of accessibility upgrades such as grab bars and ramps, maintenance such as snow
clearing, and transportation costs that allow them to access other community resources and
supports.
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An age-friendly community provides opportunities for older adults to continue to remain employed
or find meaningful employment if they wish to do so or if they need to for their economic security.
An age-friendly community should recognize and fulfill older adultsÔ desire to contribute their skills
in volunteering and participating in the political process and be actively engaged in community life.
Concerns were voiced in the focus groups about economic security for older adults, which were
echoed in the survey, which showed that nineteen pre cent of respondents were employed, sixty-
eight per cent of whom were employed out of necessity. Although there appears to be a need for
employment opportunities for older adults, focus group participants discussed how there might be a
shortage of employment opportunities in the Township for older adults, naming the main
opportunities as ski resorts, golf courses, events held at BurlÔs Creek grounds and odd jobs like
shovelling and landscaping.
Volunteering was seen as central to holding local events and creating a sense of community. It was
suggested that the willingness to volunteer is often cultural and passed down through generations,
with people volunteering at the same organizations or events where their parents and grandparents
had volunteered. Participants emphasized that this openness to volunteering should continue to be
passed down through the generations.
There was some disagreement among participants about community members volunteering and
opportunities to volunteer. On one hand some mentioned that there were plenty of opportunities to
volunteer but not enough volunteers, while on the other hand some stated the opposite Ï that there
were many people who want to volunteer but not enough opportunities. The survey results may help
to explain this disagreement, as it indicates a high number of participants (forty per cent) did not
currently do any volunteer work, with twenty-three per cent of those people wanting to start
volunteering. The survey also showed that thirty-five per cent of respondents did a small amount of
volunteering (1-5 hours per week) and that fifty-five per cent of those people were interested in
doing more volunteer work. This information suggests that there are both a lot of people in the
community interested in volunteering and that there are enough opportunities to volunteer. This
could mean that the issue lies in communicating opportunities and matching skilled volunteers with
volunteer opportunities in which they are interested.
4.Offer computer training
Offering computer training for older adults who wish to learn, either for paid work,
volunteering or for personal interest. It was suggested that this could be done in partnerships
with local high schools, with the training being provided by students fulfilling their volunteer
hours.
5.Offer seminars on planning for retirement
6.Share information on volunteer opportunities
More avenues to share knowledge about volunteer opportunities or Óhelp wantedÔ should be
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encouraged and developed. This could take the form of a section in the Community Guide
or an online system similar to 211, where volunteers could search for opportunities that fit
their interest.
7.Develop a ÓSenior-friendly businessÔ designation
The suggestion of creating a Ósenior-friendlyÔ status for businesses and services is described
in detail in the section discussing ÓCommunity Health and Social ServicesÔ. The idea is that a
business or social service could be granted a formal recognition for being Ósenior-friendlyÔ by
the Township if they meet certain standards. It was suggested that one of these standards
might be that the agency or business hires local older adults onto their staff.
Develop comparisons and partnerships with other communities
8.
It was suggested that other near-by locales should be studied as well, such as other
communities in Simcoe County for employment and volunteer opportunities, given that
opportunities may be limited in the Township given the size. However, in linking Oro-
Medonte residents to work or volunteer opportunities outside of the immediate area it was
suggested that transportation could be an issue.
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The availability, accessibility and affordability of different modes of transportation is key in
providing older adults with the freedom and independence to get around their community. This can
include reliance on forms of transportation like community vans, buses, taxis, and friends or family
but can also include safety of personal mobility of older adults like signage, traffic lights, sidewalks
and parking lots.
The importance of being able to drive and having access to a car for maintaining independence as
residents age was echoed in both the focus groups and in the survey, as shown in the chart below.
The importance of getting around easily and affordably was linked to residentsÔ ability to access
health services and other services they needed, participate in social activities, and get to work or
volunteer opportunities. If someone cannot drive or does not have access to a vehicle they may have
other options such as taxis, being driven by friends or family, or community ride programs. Some of
the community ride programs are Helping Hands, Red Cross and Cancer Society vans.
Was 'Very important' or
How important are the following factors to your ability to 'Somewhat important' to
travel? respondents
Access to a vehicle you can drive 91%
Services and stores within walking distance 69%
Access to a friend/family who can drive and/or assist 63%
Access to public transit 48%
Taxi services 43%
Access to community transportation services 41%
9.Explore partnerships with Orillia and Barrie for public transportation
Nearby larger centres are developing some public transportation pilot projects in which the
Township may be able to partner and participate. This arrangement would provide options
for people to get between towns and to larger town centres for appointments and shopping,
but might not address the issue of people travelling about within the Township.
10.Invest in services used in the community
Investment in local programs such as Helping Hands and others should be increased and
expanded.
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General attitudes of respect and recognition of the role older adults play in our society are important
in creating an age-friendly community. An age-friendly community treats older adults with respect
and is a place where older adults can feel a sense of belonging and be included in civic life. It fosters
positive images of aging and provides opportunities for different generations to integrate socially
and challenge ageist stereotypes.
Participants in the project differentiated between the community respecting older adults, and
community members accepting older adults as valuable, contributing members of the community. It
was made clear that participants felt that the community respected them as older adults, and
attributed this to a rural upbringing of Órespecting eldersÔ. Similarly, 71 per cent of survey
respondents said they feel respected by their community. However, being valued by the community
was felt at a lower rate of sixty-two per cent in the survey and backed up by focus group
participants.
Participants suggested that with the closing of churches and an increasing culture that values
independence over community, families tend to stay in more and be more isolated, especially in the
winter.
11.Establish a common interest peer group
A group of older adults could be formed who mobilize community members and engage
people who might be isolated. This could provide volunteer opportunities and might reduce
isolation for particularly vulnerable people.
12.Improve communication
Since knowledge about community activities was named as the biggest barrier to
participating, this was suggested as a priority for the Township. Some suggestions for
increasing communication are listed in the ÓCommunication and InformationÔ section, but
participants found it important to link the communication gap to how residents participate
in social activities.
13.Encourage and support Óblock partiesÔ
Holding parties or events by neighbourhood was named as a way to decrease isolation, since
they can be held close to oneÔs house.
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Physical environment has a major role to play in the mobility, independence and quality of life of
older adults. Age-friendly outdoor spaces and parks are those that are clean with outdoor seating,
well maintained sidewalks, curbs to accommodate wheelchairs, and accessible washrooms and
pedestrian crossings. Buildings and businesses should be secure, welcoming and accessible, with
adequate elevators, stairs with railings, wide and automatic doors, wide aisles and accessible parking.
Green spaces were generally thought to be accessible with the exception that often one must drive
to access them and the walking trails are not paved, so wheelchairs cannot access them, either.
Focus groups and the survey both indicated that more benches and public washrooms were needed
in public spaces, with survey respondents only being forty-four per cent satisfied with washrooms in
public places.
Residents said that public buildings are becoming more accessible, with respondents suggesting they
have seen more ramps and accessible washrooms, but it seems as though there should to be room
for growth since survey respondents were only forty-seven per cent satisfied with the accessibility of
buildings.
The chart below shows how satisfied residents are with some of the outdoor spaces. Red
highlighting indicates that there is low satisfaction, which may suggest the item should be a priority
for the Township.
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14.Provide subsidies for local businesses to become accessible
Subsidies for local businesses may help them to better meet the requirements of the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) better and more quickly. Adhering
to the AODA and ensuring buildings in the community were accessible was suggested as a
priority, although the high of these changes may make them unaffordable for businesses.
15.Develop accessible walking trails
It was suggested that local walking trails like the Rail Trail should have benches and
washrooms to encourage use by older adults.
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An age-friendly community should have affordable, accessible and conveniently located events,
activities and opportunities for older adults to socialize. Social participation consists of joining in
cultural, recreational, educational and spiritual activities within the community such as exercise
classes, computer courses, local events like fairs, crafts, card games, etc.
The results below suggest areas of concern, given that six per cent of respondents only see friends or
family once a month, and four per cent only see friends or family once a year. These numbers does
not include the frequency with which older adults might see other people with whom they interact,
such as store employees, health service workers, postal workers, etc. which could make up for a
significant amount of their social interaction.
There was disagreement among focus group participants on the availability of social activities to
participate in the community. Participants could name many activities that were available in the
community such as card games and annual events like the World Fair. However, there was a feeling
that the number of activities available was decreasing with one survey respondent poignantly asking:
ÑIs there anything in Oro-Medonte for those who do not play euchre?Ò Community members
frequently travel outside of the Township to participate in social activities, saying that in the
Township there is the perpetual difficulty of needing more activities, but a lack of participation when
those activities do appear. These comments align with the survey in that sixty-four per cent of
respondents said they would participate more if there were more social activities and events in the
area.
Some of the barriers that community members named in participating in social activities are listed
below:
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% of
What prevents you from socializing more? respondents
Lack of information about events 24%
Costs 22%
Event scheduling 19%
Lack of opportunities 14%
Distance 12%
Health 10%
Lack of transportation 8%
Mobility issues 8%
Safety concerns 4%
Other 6%
Not enough friends/shy 2%
Caregiving 1%
Grieving 1%
I'm happy with level of socializing 45%
With some of the top reasons for not participating being the lack of information on activities and
the cost of activities, it is clear that these are two areas that should be a priority to improve upon at
the Township level.
16.Create community centre or centre for social activities:
Focus group participants identified a recent closing of spaces that are open for community
members to use. These closures were named as a barrier to holding community events or
activities since there are limited spaces in which to hold them. Creating a community centre
that could be used by groups, clubs or the general population would provide this space,
removing a barrier to holding social activities. This was named as especially important in the
winter when outdoor activities need to be limited. Some specific activities suggested by
participants were classes that draw on local talent, such as a woodworking course or dancing
classes.
17.Target communication
Knowledge about community activities was named as the biggest barrier to participation,
suggested it should be a priority for the Township. Some suggestions for increasing
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communication are listed in the ÓCommunication and InformationÔ section of this report, but
participants found it important to link the communication gap to how residents participate
in social activities.
18.Support light activity like walking, hiking and cross-country skiing
Light physical exercise was named specifically as an activity of which residents would like to
see more. It was named as a way to keep people healthier longer as well as increase social
participation if the exercise is catered toward older adults.
Having access to information is a vital part to healthy, active aging. An age-friendly community
recognizes that information must be easily accessible and shared using different methods to make
sure that information about important community events and services is delivered in formats
appropriate for older adults with varying abilities and resources.
According to the survey, forty-two per cent felt very informed about the local area, including events
and news, while fifty-six per cent felt slightly informed and two per cent felt they were not well-
informed. This finding implies that the communication in the Township could be improved to
ensure that information is easily accessible to all residents, and specifically aging residents. This
observation is reinforced by the finding that seventy-six per cent of survey respondents would like
to be more informed about local news and events.
There was a disconnection between how people in the Township hear about local news and events
and how they wanted to hear about them. The two ways by which most people currently hear about
local news are word of mouth and the newspaper, while the top two ways people said they would
like to hear about local news are the newspaper and the internet. There is willingness to use the
internet as a main mode of communication from community members, which was supported by
survey findings which showed ninety-two per cent of survey respondents access the internet daily.
This finding is supported by feedback in the focus groups, in which participants emphasized that the
internet was important for older adults, especially those who are home-bound or have mobility
issues. This also led to the identification of poor internet access as a major barrier to local older
adults. Participants identified poor internet connectivity in the region, which some blamed on
partnerships with different internet providers at the Township level.
Newsletters, booklets and pamphlets developed by the Township were identified as helpful, but
word of mouth was discussed as the main avenue for hearing about local events. It was added in the
focus groups that news spreading by word of mouth is largely reliant on a small number of core
community leaders.
211 is a resource that can be accessed both by phone (by calling 211) or online by visiting
www.211ontario.ca. This resource can connect people to services they have need for, such as health
services, food programs, legal services and much more. Although this is a resource that can help to
address many issues older adults might face, thirty-nine per cent of survey respondents were not
aware of this resource, highlighting that it might not be well communicated to those who might
need it.
19.Study Community Guide effectiveness and distribution
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The ÓCommunity GuideÔ is a magazine outlining events happening in the community and is
released quarterly. It was recommended that there be a specific study on the effectiveness
and distribution of the guide in order to determine ways it can be more widely used and
more useful.
20.Alter community guide for target audience
The Community Guide should better reflect the older adult population with photos of older
adults on the cover and clear and obvious prompts for the section on activities for older
adults.
21.Partner with internet providers to improve access throughout the township
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In an age-friendly community health and social services should be available and easy to access by
phone and in person. These services should also meet the range of needs older adults might have.
Some examples of these services are family physicians, specialists, home care, meals on wheels,
financial assistance, yard work etc.
The availability of community support and health services was closely linked to the availability of
transportation to get to and from these supports. Some healthcare services were reported to be
inaccessible if the resident did not have a car or drive. Given that fifteen per cent of survey
respondents identified their physical health as poor or fair, access to the appropriate health services
is crucial. Fortunately, most respondents (eight-six per cent) had a family doctor in the Township,
but four per cent had no family doctor. By comparison, nine per cent of the survey respondents said
that their mental health was poor or fair; however, focus group participants suggested that there are
few mental health supports in the Township.
Apart from health services, there are a great many other services that residents discussed needing
support with as they age. The chart below displays some of the main services older adults named as
being important in maintaining their independence. Although the services that appear to be needed
most are related to maintaining the home, like yard care, home repair, house cleaning, etc. the issues
that were of most concern to the Steering Committee were accessing health services, with which
twenty-two per cent needed help in the past year, and affording enough food, with which five per
cent said they needed help in the past year.
In the past 12 months have you needed help doing any of the following % of respondents
tasks? who said 'Yes'
Income tax preparation 59%
Home repair and maintenance 55%
Snow removal 52%
Yard care 40%
House cleaning 25%
Accessing health services 22%
Personal transportation 18%
Garbage removal 13%
Pet care 12%
Grocery Shopping 11%
Filling out forms 9%
Picking up medicine from the pharmacy 9%
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Preparing meals 8%
Delivery service 7%
Collecting mail or parcels 7%
Accessing social services 6%
Affording a sufficient amount of food 5%
Banking 5%
Taking medication 4%
Language interpretation/ translation services 2%
Another concern raised in focus groups was ensuring the safety of older adults in the community Ï
especially safety from scams targeting older adults. Participants also indicated a concern that
businesses often target older adults unethically for business as they might be Óeasy targetsÔ.
22.Create an ÓAge-Friendly BusinessÔ designation
Developing standards and awarding designations to businesses that are age-friendly and
trusted by older adults in the community would signify to older adults that the business was
trusted locally and would also create a network of services for easier referral.
23.Create incentives for entrepreneurs to fill gaps in services
Financial incentives for entrepreneurs and businesses to be able to fill some of the gaps in
services such as house maintenance for older adults, transportation and food security, would
help older adults age in the existing homes.
24.Connect people to services
It was named that there is a disconnect between people and the services they need. As
mentioned earlier, the resource 211 has proven to assist in connecting people to local
resources. It is suggested that there is a greater effort to communicate the existence of this
service.
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Planning for an aging population requires the guidance of participation of those older adults who
best know the existing challenges and would benefit most from improvements.
Engaging with older adults in Oro-Medonte to learn about their lived experiences has shown that
while many feel a strong sense of community, feel appreciated, and recognize that improvements are
gradually being made to the physical environment, there are many other improvements that would
allow then to participate more fully in the community.
Of the eight dimensions identified by the World Health Organization as being essential to an age-
friendly community, communication, transportation, and housing, in particular, present
opportunities in Oro-Medonte. This result is not surprising, given the large geography of the
Township and the broadly distributed population centres remaining from amalgamation.
This report includes twenty-four recommendations that should inform all aspects of the TownshipÔs
planning, to ensure that future initiatives include and serve older adults. Township departments,
divisions, agencies, boards and committees should be encouraged to identify opportunities within
their work plans and budgets to act on these recommendations, reporting regularly on progress. The
community of older adults has been involved in the preparation of this action plan, and should
continue to be involved in future planning and implementation to ensure outcomes match identified
needs and opportunities.
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1.Develop a retirement village:
The Township should invest in housing for older adults by developing an area with multiple housing
options such as homes, apartments, retirement homes, and long-term care facilities. Supports and
services should be available in the neighbourhood to best meet the needs of people as they age.
In developing more options for housing the participants would like to consider the following
priorities:
Respondents who said
When considering a move, how important are the following 'Extremely important' or
factors? 'Very important'
Ability to remain independent 96%
Access to shopping (i.e. groceries, retail) 85%
Affordability of housing 84%
Have a home suitable to meet mobility/living needs 84%
Be near health/medical services 79%
Be near friends or family 76%
Ease/convenience of moving 73%
Be near social activities 66%
Stay in the community I currently live in 63%
Be near public transit 42%
2.Create partnerships and intergenerational support
It was recommended that there should be a student volunteer program with local high
schools that match older adults in the community with high school students needing
volunteer hours. The students could then help the older adult with house maintenance, like
snow shovelling or retrieving mail.
3.Provide support for older adults who wish to age in place
Support should be provided for adults who prefer to remain in their existing homes as they
age but face barriers that may prevent them from doing so. Examples include help with the
cost of accessibility upgrades such as grab bars and ramps, maintenance such as snow
clearing, and transportation costs that allow them to access other community resources and
supports.
4.Offer computer training
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Offering computer training for older adults who wish to learn, either for paid work,
volunteering or for personal interest. It was suggested that this could be done in partnerships
with local high schools, with the training being provided by students fulfilling their volunteer
hours.
5.Offer seminars on planning for retirement
6.Share information on volunteer opportunities
More avenues to share knowledge about volunteer opportunities or Óhelp wantedÔ should be
encouraged and developed. This could take the form of a section in the Community Guide
or an online system similar to 211, where volunteers could search for opportunities that fit
their interest.
7.Develop a ÓSenior-friendly businessÔ designation
The suggestion of creating a Ósenior-friendlyÔ status for businesses and services is described
in detail in the section discussing ÓCommunity Health and Social ServicesÔ. The idea is that a
business or social service could be granted a formal recognition for being Ósenior-friendlyÔ by
the Township if they meet certain standards. It was suggested that one of these standards
might be that the agency or business hires local older adults onto their staff.
Develop comparisons and partnerships with other communities
8.
It was suggested that other near-by locales should be studied as well, such as other
communities in Simcoe County for employment and volunteer opportunities, given that
opportunities may be limited in the Township given the size. However, in linking Oro-
Medonte residents to work or volunteer opportunities outside of the immediate area it was
suggested that transportation could be an issue.
9.Explore partnerships with Orillia and Barrie for public transportation
Nearby larger centres are developing some public transportation pilot projects in which the
Township may be able to partner and participate. This arrangement would provide options
for people to get between towns and to larger town centres for appointments and shopping,
but might not address the issue of people travelling about within the Township.
10.Invest in services used in the community
Investment in local programs such as Helping Hands and others should be increased and
expanded.
11.Establish a common interest peer group
A group of older adults could be formed who mobilize community members and engage
people who might be isolated. This could provide volunteer opportunities and might reduce
isolation for particularly vulnerable people.
12.Improve communication
Since knowledge about community activities was named as the biggest barrier to
participating, this was suggested as a priority for the Township. Some suggestions for
increasing communication are listed in the ÓCommunication and InformationÔ section, but
participants found it important to link the communication gap to how residents participate
in social activities.
13.Encourage and support Óblock partiesÔ
Holding parties or events by neighbourhood was named as a way to decrease isolation, since
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they can be held close to oneÔs house.
14.Provide subsidies for local businesses to become accessible
Subsidies for local businesses may help them to better meet the requirements of the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) better and more quickly. Adhering
to the AODA and ensuring buildings in the community were accessible was suggested as a
priority, although the high of these changes may make them unaffordable for businesses.
15.Develop accessible walking trails
It was suggested that local walking trails like the Rail Trail should have benches and
washrooms to encourage use by older adults.
16.Create community centre or centre for social activities:
Focus group participants identified a recent closing of spaces that are open for community
members to use. These closures were named as a barrier to holding community events or
activities since there are limited spaces in which to hold them. Creating a community centre
that could be used by groups, clubs or the general population would provide this space,
removing a barrier to holding social activities. This was named as especially important in the
winter when outdoor activities need to be limited. Some specific activities suggested by
participants were classes that draw on local talent, such as a woodworking course or dancing
classes.
17.Target communication
Knowledge about community activities was named as the biggest barrier to participation,
suggested it should be a priority for the Township. Some suggestions for increasing
communication are listed in the ÓCommunication and InformationÔ section of this report, but
participants found it important to link the communication gap to how residents participate
in social activities.
18.Support light activity like walking, hiking and cross-country skiing
Light physical exercise was named specifically as an activity of which residents would like to
see more. It was named as a way to keep people healthier longer as well as increase social
participation if the exercise is catered toward older adults.
19.Study Community Guide effectiveness and distribution
The ÓCommunity GuideÔ is a magazine outlining events happening in the community and is
released quarterly. It was recommended that there be a specific study on the effectiveness
and distribution of the guide in order to determine ways it can be more widely used and
more useful.
20.Alter community guide for target audience
The Community Guide should better reflect the older adult population with photos of older
adults on the cover and clear and obvious prompts for the section on activities for older
adults.
21.Partner with internet providers to improve access throughout the township
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Name Contact
Doug Humphries dougwhumphries@gmail.com
Carolyn Jones Carolyn.jones@smdhu.org
Wynne Fitz-Gerald Wfitzgerald123@gmail.com
Ruth Fountain sruthfountain@gmail.com
Christina Sanford gsanford@rogers.com
Dawn Davidson ddavidson@huronianplc.ca
Harry Hughes Harry.hughes@oro-medonte.ca
Barbara Coutanche Barbara.coutanche@oro-medonte.ca
Donna Hewitt dhewitt@oro-medonte.ca
Marie Brissette mbrissette@oro-medonte.ca
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158 valid surveys were completed by community members of the Township of Oro-Medonte. This
is a strong sample size for the population of Oro-Medonte, which is 20,078. The results can be
considered 92% representative of the whole of the population of Oro-Medonte.
In the following results, the percentage of survey respondents who responded either ÓStrongly agreeÔ
or ÓSomewhat agreeÔ are represented. They are shown in the following manner:
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