Creating a city for all ages
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Older Adult Task Force recommends ways to make Vaughan age-friendly
Public representation and
involving citizens in matters that impact them remain top priorities for the
City of Vaughan. That’s where the 2018-2022 Term of
Council task forces
have stepped in to address a range of policy areas that are important to the community.
In 2017, Council established the Older Adult
Task Force to make recommendations on action items to implement within the
City’s Older Adult Strategy, including opportunities to advance an age-friendly
community and promote healthy seniors.
Through community and stakeholder engagement, the
Older Adult Task Force focused on the following key objectives:
- Improve the effectiveness of older adult programs and services in the City of Vaughan.
- Respond to the growing, changing and diverse needs of Vaughan’s older adult population.
- Identify barriers faced by older adults related to accessing City services and programs and recommend possible solutions, including to explore the creation of older adult multi-service centres/community hubs.
- Identify opportunities to leverage partnerships with relevant parties, including York Region, other local municipalities, seniors serving organizations, higher levels of government and the non-profit sector to:
- achieve objectives of the Vaughan Older Adult Strategy.
- contribute to areas of common interest that are aligned with the York Region Seniors Strategy.
- Identify opportunities to educate and improve the quality of life for older adults, and promote programs, resources, initiatives and policies that allow people to age in place.
- The 28 priorities and identified actions in the Age-Friendly Community Action Plan be considered for inclusion in the 2022-2026 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan.
- Rationale: Inclusion in the 2022-2026 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan will include oversight through the Strategic Plan Oversight Teams, resulting in requirements to report annually on progress. Of particular interest is the pursuit of a community hub concept to assist in connecting the older adult population and caregivers to information regarding sources for health care, housing, and digital access.
- The Older Adult Task Force be established as the Age-Friendly Vaughan Advisory Committee for the 2022-2026 Term of Council to ensure governance, accountability and leadership processes are in place to advance the Age-Friendly Community Action Plan.
- Rationale: Continued monitoring by a committee comprised of a membership reflective of the diverse range of experiences and voices within the community. The Committee will continue to advise and educate City staff as part of initiative planning and updates related to applying an age-friendly lens.
- Prepare and share an annual age-friendly community progress report.
- Rationale: Annual reporting on the progress of initiatives allows residents to track and monitor progress towards becoming a more age-friendly city.
- Include age-friendly language and requirements in bid opportunities, where appropriate.
- Rationale: Requiring consultants and contractors to demonstrate an ability and commitment to age-friendly principles as outlined in the Age-Friendly Community Action Plan results in a designed and built environment.
- Provide additional training for front-line staff to support the older adult community.
- Rationale: An awareness of potential challenges experienced by the older adult community will enhance service levels/delivery and assist in connecting older adults to access and participate in programs and services offered through the city. Training may include topics on sensory or motor skills, behavioural strategies around communication or creating a greater understanding of ageism and elder abuse. This list highlights a few of the training topics for consideration.