What do you do if you're a senior who feels alone but don't quite know how to break out of it? Tara Burnett, seniors' services co-ordinator with the St. Albert 50-plus Club, has a few ideas that could help.
What do you do if you're a senior who feels alone but don't quite know how to break out of it? Tara Burnett, seniors' services co-ordinator with the St. Albert 50-plus Club, has a few ideas that could help.
She's working on a new initiative called the Social Engagement of Seniors program. With recent funding of $3,000 thanks to a grant from the St. Albert Community Foundation, the program is intended to better identify isolated seniors and get them involved in the club's programs and throughout the community on a long-term basis.
While the club already has a good understanding of the extent of the problem in St. Albert, Burnett said that it is likely worse than people realize.
“I suspect it's way bigger than we think. It's hard to identify and find those isolated folks, especially if they're living in their own homes. How do you find them?”
The club uses its various services and programs as ways to identify isolated seniors or other problems that seniors might be encountering. For instance, the Meals on Wheels program is a great way for at least one person to connect with each senior on a daily basis.
According to the 2014 Census, more than 37 per cent of the population is older than 50. Burnett suggested that it's difficult for the club to keep tabs on everybody but isolation is a growing problem.
“This is trying engage seniors in our community that are isolated for any number of reasons for any number of different reasons. It could be medical or transportation or loss of family member or spouse. They could be isolated in their own home, which could be a house or even some folks who live in seniors' facilities are somewhat isolated.”
The club also relies on its community partners to further help identify who is isolated, why, and how things could improve for each person.
The club expects that the funding will drive itself toward getting these seniors involved in existing programs and activities or creating new ones specifically designed to increase interactive engagement between seniors, the club and the rest of the community.
“Finding out how to get them out of their house, finding that comfort zone, building some trusting relationships with them, providing transportation if needed, and then after a program or activity, having some kind of social get together to make them feel welcome so they'll hopefully continue.”
She said that past efforts to reduce seniors' isolation have been successful, resulting in people continuing to come out and enjoy other programs and build new relationships.
“That's a huge success story.”
For example, she referred to a couple from another country that moved here to be close to their grown daughter in this city. There were a few cultural differences that gave the couple trouble integrating into the community so the daughter brought them to the club to help them further break through the social barriers.
Now, the couple attends “every single social event” that the club offers plus some other people have taken to them and made them a part of their extended families.
“They have completely changed. It really is amazing. It warms my heart every time I see them. It's just the nicest thing ever. If we could do that with everybody, that would be wonderful.”
The 50-plus Club already has a wide variety of social programs and activities including singing and playing music, card and board games, knitting and sewing, woodworking, art and fitness classes, and its Breakfast Club among others.
Currently, the club facility is undergoing a massive renovation project so some of the programs have moved to other locations. The administrative offices are temporarily located in the Grandin Tower on the third floor. Call 780-459-0433 or visit www.stalbert50plusclub.com for more information.
The renovation project is expected to be completed by the fall.
