IN THIS ISSUE: PAGE 2 : President’s Report PAGE 3 : Age-friendly Saskatoon eHub update PAGES 4 & 5 : Saskatoon Seniors Globe Walk Feature Funder Profile -Investors Group PAGE 6 : Age Alive Photo Exhibit SCOA Practicum Student Experience PAGE 7 : Helping Seniors Stay Safe on the road PAGE 8 : Spring programs How to Donate to SCOA

SPR ING  2014  

Saskatoon Seniors Globe Walk What a tremendous response we have received for the Saskatoon Seniors’ Globe Walk. The original goal was to circumnavigate the globe (24,901.55 miles) in four months. All forms of physical activity were encouraged and if miles could not be measured then each half hour of physical activity was converted into a mile. We set our first destination as Sochi in time for the opening of the Olympics on February. 7th. Read more on page 4

2020 College Drive Saskatoon, SK S7N 2W4 (306) 652-2255 Tel (306) 652-7525 Fax admin@scoa.ca www.scoa.ca

Some of the 45 Team Captains: Globe Walk Team Captains Launch January 6th, 2014

SCOA Annual General Meeting 2014 When: Thursday, May 29th, 2014 - 1:30 p.m. Where: Saskatoon Field House—2020 College Drive, Room 2 (2nd Floor) Topic: What’s new at SCOA! - Panel Presentations AGENDA: 1:30 Business Meeting 2:00 - 2:15 p.m. Free refreshments 2:15 - 3:30 p.m. Panel Presentations For more information phone 306.652.2255

I am finding myself energized by the Globe Walk. I have walked and exercised more than in previous winters. I am excited by how many people have joined the walk, by how far we have gone together – and will go by the Walk’s end. The Globe Walk is one of the more visible SCOA activities. I want to tell you about some that are less visible but still very important for older adults in our community. The first is our work with the City on property tax deferral for older adults with low incomes. Murray Scharf, Co-chair of the Age-friendly Saskatoon Initiative Steering Committee and for-mer SCOA Board member, and Peter Sen, SCOA Board member, are now working with City staff to improve the City’s Low-Income Seniors Prop-erty Tax Deferral Bylaw. The second involves the work of SCOA’s Older Adult Abuse Task Force with the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism, the Saskatoon Crisis Inter-vention Service and several provincial govern-ment ministries to develop a provincial Seniors’ Neglect and Abuse Response Line. The line will be answered by the Crisis Intervention Services of Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert, a Task Force recommendation. SCOA is very pleased the Saskatchewan

Seniors Mechanism has received a grant to do the necessary background work such as compiling community resource lists and promoting the line. The third is SCOA’s involvement through Communications Chair Mercedes Montgomery in the Saskatchewan Oral Health Coalition, an interdisciplinary group that is developing best practice standards and working to increase access to oral health care for vulnerable populations at high risk of oral disease, such as residents in long term care. These are some of the ways SCOA is working to advance our mission of promoting positive aging for all, and the health, dignity and independence of older adults through programs, services and policy advocacy. I hope you will join us at our AGM on May 29th to learn more about what SCOA does and what’s new from SCOA staff members : Panel presentations include: • Lifelong Learning • Age-friendly Initiative • eHub - SCOA website • Saskatoon Seniors Globe Walk

Page 2 Positive Aging for all

Coming of Age Published three times per year by the Saskatoon Council on Aging, Inc., 2020 College Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2W4 (306-652-2255).

Opinions are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, the Saskatoon Council on Aging, Inc. assumes no liability for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies. No part of this publication may be copied or stored for electronic retrieval without prior consent of SCOA. © 2009/2014. The SCOA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the dignity, health and independence of older adults through programs, services, education and advocacy.

Visit us online at www.scoa.ca Communications Committee: Mercedes Montgomery, Chair George James Elliot PausJenssen Adrienne Sawchuk Candace Skrapek Executive Director: June Gawdun Community Engagement Coordinator : Virginia Dakiniewich

Published with assistance from the Saskatoon Health Region.

Elliot Paus Jenssen

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

By Elliot Paus Jenssen

President, Saskatoon Council on Aging

Age-friendly Saskatoon Initiative: Recommendations is now completed and work is progressing on sharing contents of the report with the community. The report was broadly shared with variety of individuals, groups and organizations. Stakeholder meetings are ongoing and include the leadership of the City of Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Health Region, as well as with community partners such as the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon Housing Authority and the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism. Responses to the recommendations have been extremely positive. Age-friendly Phase 3 involves turning Phase 2 recommendations into meaningful policy actions and community change by engaging a large number of community stakeholders in collaboration and conversation. Older adults will also be part of this process through a variety of Age-friendly committees or sharing their leadership to translate ideas to action. Work on this phase will progress over the next couple of years with expectations of some immediate successes and an even larger number of successes to be achieved over the long term. Importantly, Phase 3 works with the Saskatoon urban community. New to Phase 3 is the involvement of many rural communities within the Saskatoon Health Region and specific communities such as Aboriginal older adults. Look for more updates on the project in future newsletters and as well, if you are interested in contributing to the implementation process, please contact Cheryl@scoa.ca

Phase 3 Age-friendly Saskatoon Initiative: making recommendations reality by Cheryl Loadman, Project Coordinator, Age-friendly Saskatoon Initiative

Positive Aging for all Page 3

Muriel Baxter, SCOA Advocacy Committee Chair, Ralph Goodale, MP, and Elliot PausJenssen, SCOA President meeting to discuss creating age-friendly environments in Saskatchewan.

E-hub Project Check out SCOA’s revamped website: www.scoa.ca. With input and feedback from older adults, we have made a

better web site to find information and services. If you have any suggestions or questions contact SCOA at 306.652.2255 or email admin@scoa.ca

NEW! We are accepting advertising for Coming of Age newsletter for our fall issue. Note: only business card size accepted 3.5” X 2” 8.89 cm X 6.08 cm Cost: $125 Deadline for fall issue: August 21st, 2014 Publication Date: September, 2014 Phone (306) 652-2255 or email admin@scoa.ca for more details.

More Physical Activity: • My group loves the calendars!! When a

date is blank, they will try to work some-thing in before the end of the day. Makes a person more aware of how active you can be!...LOVE IT!!

• Our oldest member (92 years) in-creased her (almost) daily walking time so she could count the 30 minutes and be able to count a mile each time!

• I used to drive to my neighbourhood grocery store and bank, since the walk began I walk to them whenever possible.

• Each of our 25 Assisted Living folks have to walk a few long hallways to attend their prepaid 3 meals of the day. All the hallways were measured with a workman's measuring tape. In a week the folks each walk 1 mile with and without walkers. What a way to stimulate an appetite!

Page 4 Positive Aging for all

Saskatoon Seniors embraced the challenge and in January alone over 1200 participants logged a total of 39,460 miles! That meant we first circled the globe and still arrived in Sochi in time for the opening ceremonies. From Sochi we headed back to Saskatoon to participate in the Family Day “Walk In The Park” at the Forestry Farm before trading in parkas and touques for warm weather clothes and enjoying the sunshine of Phuket, Thailand. By the end of February our

enthusiastic “walkers” had travelled another 39,366 miles. There were two main concerns that older adults presented during consultations for the Age-friendly Saskatoon Initiative: 1) the need for more physical activity and 2) more social opportunities during the winter months. The following comments received by captains and participants of the Saskatoon Seniors’ Globe Walk indicate that this project is successfully meeting those concerns.

Saskatoon Seniors Globe Walk www.scoa.ca/globewalk

More social opportunities: • Here at The Bentley, our active

community of seniors have fully embraced the Saskatoon Global Walk. We meet every Saturday afternoon and share stories regard-ing our successes. It is then that we tally up our weekly totals and they are OVER THE TOP!!! Thanks for such a Great Program!

• A small group of us have been meeting at 8:00 each Monday morning (except the one when it was -42 with wind chill !!!!) to start the week with an outdoor walk together, followed by a nice hot cup of coffee!

• Team members got together for a skating party with Hot Chocolate.

• People are socializing and talking about their activities.

We are very grateful for the grant received from the Community Initiatives Fund which allowed us to offer this wonderful project to older adults in Saskatoon.

Positive Aging for all Page 5

   During the summer of 2013, Richard Kilburn of Investors Group was presented with a novel idea. Former University of Saskatchewan Chancellor Vera Pezer outlined a plan for a fitness challenge for older adults. This was not just any fitness challenge: participants would join teams and count their steps to walk around the world – a total of 24,901.55 miles! During focus groups conducted for Phase 1 of Age-friendly Saskatoon, many older adults voiced the need for increased activity over long prairie winters. Investor’s Group has contributed to a variety of children’s charities so a project aimed at older adults was an entirely new demographic. The concept was simple but would have a huge impact on health and well-being for older adults. Richard has many clients at Investors Group who are 70 and older. Over the years, he observed how declining health or mental faculties has impacted quality of life for these clients. A project to help older adults stay healthier longer had immense appeal . “The longer you keep people engaged, the longer you keep them around.”

   Most of us remember ParticipACTION, a Canadian government program

launched in the 1970s that promoted healthy living and physical fitness. Richard recalls ParticipACTION from his own experience at Churchill school. He thought that the kids benefited from participating in

the program and were healthier. With the support of Investors Group, the Saskatoon Seniors Globe Walk was officially launched. The Saskatoon Council on Aging is proud to partner with Investors Group for the Saskatoon Seniors Globe Walk.

Funder Profile: Investors Group

“The longer you keep people engaged, the longer you keep them

around.”

Taylor Lee, Investors Group Team Captain and Richard Kilburn

Page 6 Positive Aging for all

My name is Laura Weiss; you may have seen me sitting at the desk in the SCOA office. Since January, I have been working with the staff and learning all about what SCOA does for the com-munity. One of my first tasks was to familiarize myself with the Positive Aging Resource Centre. This has been a fantastic way for me to learn about the resources available to older adults in Saskatoon. I was also lucky enough to help plan our new Positive Aging Drop-in Program – a merge of SCOA’s blood pressure clinic and drop-in program.

Whatever happened to the AGE ALIVE Photo Exhibit? By Mercedes Montgomery, Chair, Communications Committee

Message from Laura Weiss: Social Work Practicum student at SCOA

SCOA volunteers offer hour long presentations on positive aging and ageism to students when the AGE ALIVE display is on site, an opportunity for intergenerational interaction. Thanks to everyone who contributed the photographs that created AGE ALIVE and to the venues that have hosted the Exhibit. Watch for more announcements about Age Alive at the Mendel.

Mercedes Montgomery & Burna Purkin, Presentation to SIAST First Year Nursing students.

This is an exciting change that we hope will enable more people to attend both programs every month! As a social work student, it was also very important for me to connect with people who phone and walk into the office. This kind of learning is invalu-able for a student; seeing real-world applications of the theories and ethics that I have learned help to cement these ideas and develop my skills as a professional.

Thank you to everyone that I’ve had the opportunity to learn from – both patrons and staff of SCOA!

“This was my favourite part of my practicum; it was an absolute pleasure to talk with people about their lives and learn about the struggles and triumphs that they have experienced. “

Whatever happened to the AGE ALIVE Photography Exhibit ? Remarkably, it’s very much alive and still on tour nearly four years later! Age Alive was created from entries to a photo competition to show positive images of older adults. Since its launch at Spotlight in 2010, AGE ALIVE has been hosted at 23 venues including 11 Saskatoon high schools and two elementary schools, the City Hospital Gallery, St. Paul’s Hospital Cafeteria, the Saskatoon Public Library and several other public spaces, at SIAST Kelsey Campus and at Warman High School. In November, AGE ALIVE opens at the Mendel Art Gallery for a month to coincide with the Mendel’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. AGE ALIVE seeks to dispel stereotypes and myths about aging. By illustrating the activities and contributions of older adults, it promotes positive aging for all, raises awareness and challenges perceptions of ageism. Viewers often recognize people in the photographs who are mostly from the Saskatoon area, which contributes to the Exhibit’s appeal and enjoyment.

Positive Aging for all Page 7

Helping Seniors Stay Safe on the Road Reprinted with permission from Westworld Saskatchewan magazine.

Today’s seniors are not only living longer, they’re driving longer. And that’s good news because studies show per-sonal mobility is important for happiness. Better yet, there are a lot of things that seniors can learn to keep driving safely for as long as possible. CAA has pulled together a resource for seniors and their loved ones at seniorsdriving.caa.ca. Videos, tips, checklists and advice are there to help seniors maintain their skills or add a few new ones. It’s important to be proactive in assessing our driving habits, and making adjustments when needed, to keep ourselves and others safe on the road. Even after a life-time of driving experience, physical and mental changes can have an effect on our motoring habits. The CAA site allows you to measure for yourself how those changes are affecting you and gives you tips and strategies for dealing with their impact including; Assessing your skills: In most licensing systems, new drivers write a test and do an in-car driving exam and then never have to worry about another test until they are well into their senior years. It benefits any driver at any age to review their driving habits and make sure they are being a safe driver. CAA’s online portal offers several evaluation tools that can help you assess your driving habits.

Does your car fit you? As we age, our physical and mental abilities change, and some of those changes – including vision, hearing and the ability to react quickly – can affect our driving. Making adjustments to the vehicle, such as mirrors and distance from the wheel, can help your car work in

perfect tandem with you in order to stay safe. CAA offers a conven-ient printable list that you can use to make sure your car fits you. Maintaining your skills: Laws and technology change over the years, while driving habits be-come ingrained. New challenges come along, too – roundabouts

are fairly new to Canada and we didn’t use to encounter as many cyclists on the road. It benefits any driver, regardless of age, to develop new driving skills periodically. This can be as simple as taking a refresher course. The site is also realistic. We all know that at some point in our lives some of us will have to limit, or even stop, driving on our own. Having conversations with our loved ones early can make this transition easier. CAA has gathered advice to help with this proc-ess; access it at seniorsdriving.caa.ca. Another resource is the 55 Alive Mature Driving Course (sasksafety.org/programs) For information on the 55 Mature driving courses in Saskatoon contact: Brian Fehr,at the Safety Council, 306. 260. 6557

FREE Positive Aging Drop-in Program Beginning in April 2014, SCOA’s Drop-in Program and Blood Pressure Clinic will merge to become the Positive Aging Drop-in Program 9:00 AM – Noon: blood pressure, interactive display & refreshments

• Monday, April 28, 2014 o 10 AM – 11 AM: Stampin’ Up Card

Making Activity o Interactive Display: Oral Health

• Monday, May 26, 2014 o 10 AM – 11 AM: May Flowers o Interactive Display: Staying on Your

Feet • Monday, June 23, 2014

o 10 AM – 11 AM: Summer Celebration Social

o Interactive Display: Heart and Stroke Foundation

For further details contact SCOA (306-652-2255)

Art Workshops 1. Painting on Clay Pots – Tuesday, May 13th, 2014; 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM.....................................$20.00 Painting with acrylic on clay pots is an easy way to dress up and decorate your garden, as well as a thoughtful way to personalize a plant gift. Draw your inspiration for painting your pots from nature, animals, designs and photos. Enrolment limited. Bring your own garden or plant pot; additional supplies provided. Call SCOA at 306-652-2255 to register! 2. Making Scrapbook Memories – Tuesday, May 27th, 2014; 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM.......................$20.00 Pictures say a thousand words. Gather your photos and memorabilia and come have fun! Create a scrapbook using your imagination! Enrolment limited. Bring your own photos and scrapbook paper; additional supplies provided. Call SCOA at 306-652-2255 to register!

Technology Workshops

All workshops are $25 for one 2-hour session. Call 306-652-2255 to register or for more information! iPad Workshop Dates (held at SCOA Office): ** Please bring your own iPad!

• Thurs, May 1, 2014 – 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM • Tues, May 20, 2014 – 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM • Thurs, June 5, 2014 – 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

iPhone Workshop Dates (held at SCOA Office): ** Please bring your own iPhone!

• Tues, May 13, 2014 – 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM • Tues, June 10, 2014 – 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Facebook Workshop Dates (held at Public School Board Lab):

• Thurs, May 22, 2014 – 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM • Wed, June 11, 2014 – 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

SASKATOON COUNCIL ON AGING 306-652-2255; www.scoa.ca

SPRING 2014 PROGRAMS

SCOA NEWSPositive Aging for All

Check out the new Saskatoon Council on Aging (SCOA) web site! An important seniors resource that will help you access community, provincial and national programs and materials. Through the New Horizons for Seniors Program, our web site has been redesigned to include many new features that help to make important information more accessible and age-friendly.

Visit www.scoa.ca and check out what’s new – just try not to scratch the paint or spin the tires.

WHEN: Thursday, May 29, 2014 - 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Saskatoon Field House - 2020 College Drive - Room Two UpstairsTOPIC: What’s New at SCOA! (Panel featuring important programs (Life Long Learning, Age Friendly Initiative, Older Adults new website, Seniors Globe Walk)

AGENDA:1:30 p.m. Business Meeting2:00-2:15 p.m. - Free Refreshments2:15-3:30 - Panel Presentations For more information phone (306) 652-2255 or check our website www.scoa.ca

Introducing the all new 2014scoa.ca

2014 Annual General Meeting

Positive Aging Drop-In Program

S A S K A T O O N C O U N C I L O N A G I N G N E W S L E T T E R _ A P R I L 2 0 1 4

We have combined the Drop-in Program and Wellness Clinics to form The Positive Aging Drop-in Program. The pilot is scheduledfor dates in May and June with the program commencing in September.

WHEN: Fourth Monday of every month,September to June, 9 a.m. to noon

Monday, April 28th, 2014 9 a.m. to Noon; 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Stampin’ Up Card Making Demonstration Interactive Display: Oral Health

Monday, May 26th, 2014 9 a.m. to Noon; 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. May Flowers theme Interactive Display: Staying on Your Feet

Monday, June 23rd, 2014 9 a.m. to Noon; 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Summer Celebration Social Interactive Display: Heart and Stroke Foundation

WHERE: Meeting Room #3, Saskatoon Field House, 2020 College Drive – (across from SCOA office)

HIGHLIGHTS:• 9 a.m. to Noon ~ “Ask a Nurse” Station

• 9 a.m. to Noon ~ Retired nurses will be on hand to take blood pressure

• 9 a.m. to Noon ~ Interactive display

• 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. ~ Presentation

• Free refreshments