The Link-Letter Feb. 22, 2013
v. 8-08
For more information click on the links provided.
New items are highlighted.
INDEX
News for Agency Staff here
Events for Agency Staff here
Work Opportunities in the Senior-Serving Sector here
Items for Board Members here
Items for Seniors here
Volunteer/Work Opportunities for Seniors here
ESCC UPDATES
1. The Age-Friendly Vision Steering Committee has adopted a charter that includes terms of reference, guiding principles, operating guidelines, meeting guidelines, suggested attributes necessary for collaborating, critical success factors, and terms of reference for working groups. The steering committee comprises two individuals for each of the nine key areas noted in the Vision for an Age-Friendly Edmonton Action Plan (they will lead a working group for that key area) as well as ex-officio members including Betty Loree from the Mayor’s office and a representative from Alberta Health-Seniors Division. The leads for the working groups are recruiting stakeholders, reviewing priority actions and planning for implementation of priority actions.
2. A general age-friendly business campaign will be rolled out in 2013 with help from the Community Support Working Group, Betty Loree and the City of Edmonton. We aim to have three business revitalization zones involved in pilot projects. Age friendly business resources will be developed and we will work with the Alberta Council on Aging to have seniors trained to assist with pilot activities, which may include audits.
Top of document
NEWS FOR AGENCY STAFF
1. The receipt of any funds raised for the health care system through new financing instruments in Canada must come with “conditions for accountability and improved outcomes in health,” the Caledon Institute of Social Policy argues. “It is not enough to say, for example, that more services were delivered in a given period or that additional tests were carried out.” To read the CISP’s Financing Long-Term Care: More Money in the Mix paper (which does not, by the way, promote privatization of Canada’s health care system), go here.
2. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor, as the “graying of America” persists, the number of seniors using paid long-term care services will double by 2050. “Seniors are going to be big business.” To read more of Will retirement homes become obsolete as more seniors stay at home, go here.
3. “In just the past three years, a slew of scientific journals have published research on the benefits of technology-based ‘exergames’ for physical rehabilitation, especially for those with strokes, joint replacements, traumatic brain injury, motion limitations and imbalance. Many studies have connected body and brain, noting that exercise not only improves muscular and cardiovascular systems, but also improves cognitive function and mood.” To read more of Senior Care Technology Roundup: Video Chat, Social Media, GPS Shoes and More, go here.
4. The Seniors Advisory Council for Alberta “gathers information on issues important to seniors by consulting with older Albertans and seniors' organizations. Suggestions and feedback are used to develop advice on legislation, policies, funding and coordination of programs and services. The council also coordinates the annual Seniors’ Week celebration, participates in research projects and supports community-based workshops.” SACA is currently recruiting members in Edmonton and Area (go here for information) and Calgary and Area (go here). For more information about SACA, go here.
5. Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year. The application deadline is Feb. 28. The applicant guide and more information is available here.
6. The 2013 Grey Matters Seniors Services Conference has issued a Call for Presenters based on the question, “How do you or your organization contribute to the well-being of seniors?” The conference will take place Sept. 26 and 27 in Lethbridge, and will be hosted by Nord-Bridge Seniors Centre and Alberta Health – Seniors Division. The deadline for submissions is March 1. For more information, go to www.greymatters2013.ca.
7. YWCA Edmonton is accepting nominations for its 2013 Women of Distinction Awards in eight categories: Advocate, Arts and Culture, Volunteer, Educator, Entrepreneur and Businesswoman, Trailblazer, Turning Point and Young Woman of Distinction. To access a nomination form, go here. The deadline for nominations is March 28. The awards night is May 30. For more information, go here.
8. The deadline to apply for Alberta Association on Gerontology graduate student awards is March 31. Both the provincial board award (up to two may be presented in any given year) and the Edmonton chapter award are $1,000, “to assist with costs associated with coursework, research or attendance at a workshop/conference”. All of the recipients must have “an interest in any aspect of aging” but “preference will be given to full-time students and current AAG members”. For more information, go here and here.
9. The call for proposals to co-host the 2014 Seniors Services Conference is open until May 3. “The Seniors Services Conference is the premier conference for individuals who work within the seniors sector in Alberta.” Co-hosts benefit by raising their profile amongst provincial seniors service organizations; showcasing their organization and/or community; establishing a collaborative relationship with the Government of Alberta; and building and expanding their network by providing opportunities to work with a variety of organizations. To learn more about developing a proposal, go here or call 780-415-0920.
Top of document
EVENTS FOR AGENCY STAFF
1. The Canadian Mental Health Association student group at the University of Alberta presents John Hemingway, grandson of American author Ernest Hemingway, on Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. at the Telus Centre for Professional Development. John’s mother had schizophrenia and his transgender father had bipolar disorder. Tickets are $15. For more information, contact Amrita Chavan at 780-952-8658 or . For an event poster, go here.
2. Volunteer Edmonton’s Volunteer Management Certificate Program runs March 4 and 5 - Orientation, Training and Supervision of Volunteers; March 14 and 15 - Volunteer Recognition and Retention; March 25 and 26 - Event Planning for Volunteer Managers; and April 6 - Grant Writing Essentials. Visit www.volunteeredmonton.com for details and to register. “Students may register for individual courses or complete all of the courses to achieve the certificate.” Classes are at the Baker Centre, #400, 10025 – 106 Street, Edmonton. For more information contact Madeleine Smith at or 780-732-6649.
3. Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton (SAGE) offers a professional information program lunch seminar on March 5 on Debt Solutions for Seniors. Lunch is at 11:30 a.m. and the presentation is from 12 to 2 p.m. The discussion will cover budgeting ideas, wise use of credit, and tips for debt reduction. The cost is $30, including lunch. The deadline to register is Feb. 26. For more information and a registration form, email .
4. Catholic Social Services presents its eight-session Mindfulness and Mastery of Emotions program beginning March 5 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at 8815 – 99 Street, Edmonton. “Develop skills in paying full attention to your apparent ‘uncontrollable’ emotions, thoughts and sensations, and learn to master your emotions more effectively. This will enable you to enhance your social and occupational functioning and thus, build a much more peaceful relationship not only with yourself, but others.” The cost is $250. For more information and to register, contact Kari Boult at 780-420-6081.
5. Service Canada is offering free Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) information sessions for staff on March 7 at 1 p.m. at Northgate Shopping Centre, 9499 – 137 Avenue, second level on the south side of the mall; March 8 at 9 a.m. at Millbourne Market Mall, 7609 – 37 Avenue, south side of the mall; and March 15 at 1 p.m. at Meadowlark Shopping Centre, 15710 – 87 Avenue, north side of the mall near the Transit Circle. To reserve seating, call 780-495-3684 or email . These sessions are not open to the general public.
6. Catholic Social Services’ Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) will be offered March 20 and 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Catholic Social Services East Office, 8212 – 118 Avenue. “ASIST is a standardized program that provides awareness, tools, a model and a common language that is applicable to formal and informal caregivers. Part of ASIST’s mandate is that the stigma and taboo surrounding suicide will cease to exist through open and honest disclosure and discussion on the topic of suicide.” For more information, go here.
7. The Alberta Association on Gerontology – Edmonton Chapter will hold a networking dinner on March 20 in the Faculty Club at the University of Alberta. It will include a presentation by a professor in the Faculty of Nursing on Supporting Family Caregivers: Transitions and Complex Interventions. The cost is $41 for members and $43 for non-members. For more information, go here. For a registration form, go here. The registration and payment deadline is March 15.
8. The Boyle Renaissance Development Association has issued an invitation to the grand opening of Boyle Renaissance Phase One on March 21 in Birch Hall at the Boyle Street Plaza, 9538 - 103A Avenue, Edmonton. The event begins at 10 a.m. and includes refreshments and tours. The development encompasses the Melcor YMCA Village, an affordable housing facility. For more information, go here. The deadline to register is March 14. Email .
9. Volunteer Edmonton is offering an event planning workshop on March 25 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at The Baker Centre, #400, 10025 – 106 Street. “You will discover how to research types of events, design the event plan, manage the planning process, coordinate all elements and details involved for execution of the event, and create an evaluation report.” The cost is $195. To register, go here. For more information, contact Madeleine Smith at or 780-732-6649.
10. Volunteer Edmonton is offering a grant writing essentials workshop on April 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The Baker Centre, #400, 10025 – 106 Street. “You will learn how to prepare yourself and your organization to make this targeted appeal for support, about the world of funders, and how to determine if your project fits within the funding interests of the prospective funder and within your organization.” The cost is $145. To register, go here. For more information, contact Madeleine Smith at or 780-732-6649.
11. April 21 to 27 is National Volunteer Week. To access materials from Volunteer Canada that will help you celebrate, go here. Resources include “communications templates, video seminars, the new Campaign Planner, resources for media and government relations, as well as helpful social media tools”.
12. The Alberta Centre for Active Living will hold its annual Physical Activity Forum in Edmonton on May 14 and in Calgary on May 15, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The event will focus on “physical activity and the aging brain. More generally, it will be about the benefits of physical activity as we age.” For more information, go here. “The forum is designed to meet the information needs of practitioners, not the general public.”
Top of document
WORK OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SENIOR-SERVING SECTOR
Calder Seniors Drop-In Society is looking for a part-time assistant cook. The applicant must have a Food Handling Certificate. Hours of work are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday. Position starts at $12/hr. Applicants must be able to bake and prepare homemade soups on a daily basis. To apply, email or fax your resume to or 780-452-7537.
Top of document
ITEMS FOR BOARD MEMBERS
1. “Fundraising in the non-profit sector just doesn’t work anymore. Non-profits have to break out of the narrow view that traditional fundraising (individual donor appeals, events, foundation grants) will completely fund all of their activities and instead work to create a broader approach to securing the overall financing necessary to create social change.” To read Nell Edgington’s tips on “finding and keeping a great fundraiser”, go here.
2. Governance Lab Edmonton is a five-part series of leadership development sessions beginning Feb. 25. The sessions are provided by Vantage Point and take place on Tuesday afternoons over the course of five months. The sessions include Governance as Leadership, Developing Your Current Board, Fund Development, Evaluating Performance and Creating a Strategic Board. The $1,500 registration fee includes tuition for the board chair, vice (incoming) chair and executive director. For more information and to register, go here.
3. On March 20 from 12 to 1:30 p.m., Alberta Culture community development officer Karen Doyle will present a board development session on the pros and cons of Partnerships and Collaboration. This session will be presented via videoconference. End-point registration is $40 per site. Endpoints may charge participants to cover their site expenses. To register, contact Jo Goebel at or call 403-854-2099 ext. 206.
Top of document
ITEMS FOR SENIORS
1. Don’t become an outlier when it comes to “understanding how advances in technology enable and empower the world in which we live and work. It is imperative you keep up with technological change and embrace it. Don’t allow yourself to become the equivalent of a ‘technology dinosaur’. Don’t allow yourself to be eliminated from consideration for a job you desire because you have lost touch with technology.” To read more of Thomas Hart’s blog on How to Get a Job Past the Age of 50, go here.
2. “Older adults often face a double whammy when it comes to medicine. They’re more likely to use medications than younger people, but they’re also more likely to experience harmful side effects.” To read the U.S. National Council on Aging’s discussion on Why Managing Medicine Matters (likely the only part that won’t be useful is on finding help to pay for medicine), go here.
3. Edmonton’s Rick Lauber has been a caregiver for both of his parents and has written the book Caregiver’s Guide for Canadians. It deals with issues such as caregiving from a distance, caring for yourself, choosing a long-term care facility, and finding joy in caregiving. The book is available at Chapter’s bookstores and on-line here. You can meet the author on Feb. 23 at Indigo – North Town Mall, 9450 – 137 Avenue, Unit 186, Edmonton.