The Link-Letter Nov. 8, 2013
v. 8-45
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. ESCC will hold its Seasonal Gathering on Nov. 29 at Santa Maria Goretti Community Centre. Members of the Age Friendly Edmonton initiative will host a Conversation Café on the International Conference of Age-Friendly Cities from 9:30 a.m. to noon. A seasonal lunch will be served at 12 p.m. ESCC members are welcome to attend the café and/or the seasonal lunch. To RSVP, email Katie at or call 780-423-5635.
2. Executive directors and board members from ESCC member organizations are invited to participate in a session on Recruiting Leaders for Your Board on Nov. 22 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. (location TBA). The session will be facilitated by Tony Spencer, a provincially certified volunteer board development trainer. It will be particularly valuable for members of board nominations committees. For more information, go here. To RSVP, email Katie at or call 780-423-5635.
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NEWS FOR AGENCY STAFF
1. Age Friendly Edmonton has released the names of speakers and details for the free one-to-two-hour Healthy Aging Information Series presentations agencies and organizations are encouraged to schedule. The presentations cover Dementia and Alzheimer’s, Living with Arthritis, Hearing Loss, Heart Health, Home Care and Continuing Care Access, Medication Management, Diabetes, Stress Management and Housing Transitions. For more information, go here.
2. The Muttart Foundation’s latest report on its Talking About Charities survey, released Nov. 4, explores the state of public opinion about charities. Among the findings are that charities are still considered trustworthy, charities need to tell their story better (Canadians give charities low ratings for how they report on the use of donations, the necessity of administrative overhead, and their fundraising costs), Canadians remain supportive of charities engaging in business activities to raise money, and Canadians believe charities generally improve our quality of life. To read the report, go here. You can link to segments or the full report.
3. There’s a significant gap in residential elder care in Alberta between the care provided and the care required. For-profit elder care is inferior to care provided publicly or by a not-for-profit agency. And many elderly Albertans struggle to cope with burdens, financial and otherwise, that at one point would have been alleviated by the provincial government. These are three “especially troubling areas” identified in the Parkland Institute’s research report, From Bad to Worse, issued Nov. 6. For more information and to download the report, go here.
4. The Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta is participating in an international health promotion program. “As part of the project, we are offering Dare to Age Well workshops to women aged 65 years and over. We will present information on various taboo topics related to healthy aging. The impact of health education intervention for older women living with incontinence will be evaluated. Each workshop lasts approximately 90 minutes. The women who consent to participate will receive a phone call every three months for a year.” If your agency/organization would like to host one of the workshops, contact Saima Rajabali, research coordinator, Division of Geriatric Medicine, by emailing .
5. Non-clinical community leaders can now order the Canadian Active Living Coalition for Older Adults’ CD toolkit providing a step-by-step guide to offering a six-week healthy living workshop for older adults. The CD contains information on Getting Started, Motivating Change, Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, Mental and Emotional Health, and Healthy Lifestyle – Impact on Chronic Disease. For more information and to order the resource, go here.
6. The New Horizons for Seniors program has issued a call for proposals for up to 20 pilot projects aimed at addressing seniors’ social isolation. Projects will build social support networks and resources, community interventions, and/or address intergenerational learning. The deadline for applications is Nov. 13. Up to $2 million is available for all of the projects. For more information and to apply, go here.
7. Volunteer Edmonton is asking for help in determining which professional development programs it should offer. At the same time, VE would like to gather information on “the best way to support the important work that is being carried out by your organizations”. The deadline to complete its survey is Nov. 16. To participate, go here.
8. Nonprofit HR is conducting its 2014 Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey in the United States and Canada. The survey has been produced annually since 2007 and is designed to “address the lack of statistical information available on nonprofit human resources practices and trends, such as staff size and projected growth; recruitment strategies and budgeting; staffing challenges; and staffing resource management”. For more information and to access the survey, go here. The deadline to participate is Nov. 22.
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EVENTS FOR AGENCY STAFF
1. Edmonton Clinic Health Academy hosts a Knowledge Exchange Forum on Nov. 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 11405 - 87 Avenue on the University of Alberta campus. The topic is Ending Homelessness in Northern Alberta. To register, go here. “The goal is to bring together researchers, service providers and policy makers to collectively inform future research, mobilize community and academic knowledge to drive policy and practice, and create regional and provincial networks to foster collaboration on research and evaluation.” For more information, go here, email or call 780-944-2851.
2. Homeward Trust Edmonton and other stakeholders will host a National Housing Day luncheon on Nov. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Westin Hotel, 10135 – 100 Street. The event recognizes innovation and leadership in affordable housing and keynote speaker Andreas Souvalitotis (to watch his TED talk, go here) will promote the idea that “part of capitalism is managing wealth and making sure we’re creating real, sustainable, long-term value”. Tickets are $55. The deadline to purchase them is Nov. 15. To do so, go here. For more information, call 780-944-2979 or email .
3. Caregiver Navigator is a one-day workshop that “trains health professionals, service providers and community agency staff to better support caregivers by showing them how to identify caregivers early in their journey, support caregivers to adopt self-care practices and facilitate caregivers’ access to programs/resources and referrals”. The Alberta Caregivers Association is offering the workshop on Nov. 22 and 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fulton Place School, 10310 - 56 Street, Edmonton. This workshop is sponsored by the Age Friendly Initiative and is free-of-charge to participants. Lunch is provided. For more information, go here. To register, contact Bonnie or Rachelle at 780-453-5088 or ;
4. CHNET-Works, a Canadian “network of networks linking researchers, decision-makers and practitioners in population health,” presents a free Age-Friendly Housing for Older Canadians webinar on Nov. 27 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will include presentations on Understanding and Responding to a Housing Market for Older Canadians; Building Lifelong Communities; Imagining Housing Strategies to Age in Place and Housing Solutions for the Wave of Seniors. For more information and to register, go here.
5. The FCSS Association of Alberta invites sector staff to hear the keynote speakers at its 2013 Power of Prevention conference. Margaret Trudeau will share her story on Nov. 28 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. “From becoming a prime minister’s wife at a young age, to the loss of her son and her former husband, to her journey of acceptance and recovery from bipolar disorder, she reminds others of the important of nurturing the body, mind and spirit.” Lorne Calvert, a former premier of Saskatchewan, will speak on How to Win Friends and Influence Government from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 30. The deadline to register is Nov. 18. The cost to attend Trudeau’s speech is $20 and the cost to attend Calvert’s is $40 (includes breakfast). For more information, contact Judy at 780-415-4790 or .
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WORK OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SENIOR-SERVING SECTOR
1. Creative Age Edmonton seeks an arts outreach coordinator to help link seniors and the arts. “The coordinator will help develop and coordinate workshops to help artists learn to teach older adults. He or she will work with an advisory committee to help build ongoing relationships with community organizations serving seniors. This is a nine-month part-time contract position. Creative Age Edmonton exists to promote the health, social and cultural benefits of engaging seniors in arts activities.” The deadline for applications is Nov. 15. For a complete job description, go here.
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ITEMS FOR BOARD MEMBERS
1. No items this week.
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ITEMS FOR SENIORS
1. On Nov. 4, Governor General David Johnston launched My Giving Moment, a four year national marketing campaign aimed at increasing charitable giving by Canadians. The campaign encourages Canadians to pledge to share their talents, time and/or money; share their stories about doing so; and challenge their friends and family to match their contribution. To find out more, go here. To read coverage of the campaign in the Globe and Mail and Maclean’s magazine, go here and here.
2. Seniors Assisted Transportation Society of Greater Edmonton (SATS) is selling tickets to Oil Kings’ regular season games for $15 (the regular price is $20 to $30). “You will see NHL stars of tomorrow take on the other teams in their league, especially Red Deer or Calgary. The nights may include Top Shot hockey shooting stations and PlayStation NHL 2011 kiosks. There will also be an exclusive autograph session after each game with three Oil Kings players.” Call 780-732-1221 for more details.
3. SouthWest Edmonton Seniors Association (SWESA) has contracted Banister Research and Consulting Inc. to conduct a needs assessment. “If you are 55 or older, you may be contacted. Your information will help SWESA confirm the size and scope of programs that should be developed and the type of facility that best supports seniors’ interests. For more information, go to www.swedmontonseniors.ca or call 587-987-3200. For a poster with more details, go here.
4. “Move is a free exercise program that provides the opportunity for Edmontonians to be physically active alongside a family physician and a kinesiologist.” The program “encourages particpants to be active outside, without needing to go to a gym or buy any exercise equipment”. It combines walking, strength training and physical activity. “We meet at the southeast parking lot in Hawrelak Park every Wednesday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. year round. This program is targeted for beginner and intermediate fitness levels.” Register by emailing or contacting the Edmonton Oliver Primary Care Network at 780-701-5393.
5. “A new website aims to provide Canadians with a user-friendly snapshot of how the health system is performing. The Canadian Institute for Health Information released its interactive tool, OurHealthSystem.ca, on Nov. 7.” The website covers five areas: access, quality, spending, health promotion and disease prevention, and health outcomes. For a CBC link to complementary information on its Fifth Estate Rate My Hospital program aired earlier this year, go here.
6. The Bank of Canada alerted seniors this week that “the new $5 and $10 notes are out and the official launch of the polymer series is now complete! All five denominations of polymer notes will now appear in the retail till, in our wallets and as change in cash transactions. During the introductory phase of the new $5s and $10s, both paper and polymer notes will circulate.”
7. Richard Eaton Singers present Always and Forever: Music for Remembrance Day on Nov. 11 at 2:30 p.m. at the Winspear Centre for Music. The concert will include “wide ranging music” and use of the Davis Concert Organ. The seniors’ discount ticket price is $28 to $33 ($2 off the adult price), depending on where you sit. All tickets are subject to a service charge. For more information go here, email or call 780-428-3737. To contact the Winspear box office, call 780-428-1414.
8. Edmonton Seniors Centre presents Sgt. Wilson’s Army Show at 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 12 at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre, 11111 Jasper Avenue. The show features songs originally performed by Glenn Miller, The Andrews Sisters, Doris Day, Frankie Lane and Rosemary Clooney. Tickets are $18 in advance and $23 at the door. Tea, coffee and snacks are included. For more information, call 780-342-8625 or go here.
9. CARP Edmonton will host a free financial seminar, in partnership with the Alberta Capital Marketing Foundation, on Nov. 12 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Old Timer’s Cabin, 9430 Scona Road (99 Street), Edmonton. How to Plan for and Protect your Retirement will include tips and information provided by Lorinda Brinton, senior advisor with the Alberta Securities Commission, and John Yamamoto, vice-president and investment advisor at RBC Dominion Securities. “Whether you are just beginning or are looking for an investing refresher, this session will help you understand the investing landscape and the options available to you, how to assess and manage risk, and how to avoid losing money in opportunities that sound too good to be true.” To register, call 780-450-4802 or email .
10. SouthWest Edmonton Seniors Association (SWESA) is opening its second drop-in centre for people 55 years of age and older on Nov. 13 at the Terwillegar Recreation Centre. The Coffee Chat'n Cards seniors lounge will be open Mondays and Wednesdays from 12 to 4 p.m. It is cosponsored by the City of Edmonton. For more information, call 587-987-3200 or visit www.swedmontonseniors.ca.
11. Are you a leader of an ethno-cultural community or community-based organization? Join the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations on Nov. 13 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall to learn how the city works, how to influence policy makers, how to have input into city decision making, and how to access funding. Mayor Don Iveson will welcome you to this free event, and snacks and refreshments will be provided. To register, go here. For more information, email Gemma Dunn at .