Healthy Aging Alberta (HAA) hosted its Northern Alberta regional gathering in St. Paul May 15. The day-long gathering brought together community-based seniors-serving organizations to receive information and provide feedback.
“The day is really meant to provide a bit of an update on the work that Healthy Aging Alberta is doing,” said HAA’s Northern Region community developer Michael Procinsky. “It’s really important that we do consultation at all of our regional gatherings, gaining that feedback from the community so that we maintain our value that it is ‘by community, for community.’”
HAA is a provincially-funded network that seeks to connect community-based senior-serving organizations with larger systems such as health, housing, and the disabilities sectors. It does not provide services to older adults, but helps organizations connect with each other and work together to make their efforts more effective.
The gathering was attended by grassroots community organizations, Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) staff, healthcare providers and municipal representatives.
Participants discussed aspects of HAA’s draft strategic plan and service delivery model. Further consultation will take place at this the organization’s Tapestry of Aging provincial conference this fall. The conference will also include presentations, breakout sessions, and keynote speakers.
“We’re trying to highlight how interconnected we all are, regardless of where we’re coming from in the province,” Procinsky said. “Whether we’re in the far north or deep south, we’re working towards the same goal of making Alberta one of the best places in the world to grow older.”
He said HAA’s approach to that goal is to strengthen the community-based organizations and other service providers.
“With the increase in financial support from the government of Alberta, we’ve been able to expand community and home support programs, transportation programs, as well as social prescribing. All these pieces are coming together to help to support a stronger sector,” he said.
“As the sector is strengthened, it is allowing for folks to age well as they choose because they have the services available to do so.”
The older demographic of Alberta’s population is growing rapidly, Procinsky says. And while he winces a bit at the term “silver tsunami,” he says it’s important to recognize that the time to act is now.
“The urgency is well known at this point. Folks talk of the ‘silver tsunami’—which is not a term I necessarily think is great—but it’s not coming, it’s here. So I think folks are really keen to address the challenges that are at play,” he said.
