Please complete member survey: P. 21-23 Vol. 44 No. 3 Serving Alberta’s Seniors since 1967 June-August, 2011 A time for growth Annual report issue: Seniors discuss vital issues Photos: Kathie Neu Organ Spring blossoms brighten the day as the ACA annual general meeting gets underway at the Golden Circle, Red Deer, right, May 31. 2 ACA News, June-August 2011 Board of Directors 2011-12 A registered charitable organization since 1967, the Alberta Council on Aging works to improve the quality of life for Seniors. ACA News is published by the Alberta Council on Aging. ACA Mission: To empower and educate Seniors and government to support the quality of life for Seniors and encourage their full Publisher & Editor: participation in all aspects of society ACA Executive Editorial Services: PRESIDENT REGION 4 BizEdmonton Inc. Gary Pool Norm Bezanson ACA News reserves the right to Morinville Edmonton condense, rewrite and reject 780-939-4842 1-888-423-9666 material. [email protected] [email protected] Deadline for submissions for our next issue is Sept. 30, 2011. TREASURER REGION 5 Frank Hoebarth Bev Hanes ACA Staff Calgary Red Deer Executive Director: 403-282-7986 1-888-423-9666 Gary Pool, acting [email protected] [email protected] Assistant to the Executive REGION 6 Director: Daniela Hiltebrand VICE-PRESIDENT Frank Hoebarth Director, Age-Friendly vacant Calgary Program Development: PAST PRESIDENT 403-282-7986 Kathie Neu Organ Floyd Sweet [email protected] Administrative Assistant: Vermilion Nadia Willigar 780-853-4252 REGION 7 [email protected] Murray Campbell Alberta Council on Aging Lethbridge Box 9, 11808 St. Albert Trail DIRECTORS 1-888-423-9666 Suite 232, Circle Square REGION 1 [email protected] Edmonton, AB, T5L 4G4. Yvonne Dickson REGION 8 Phone: 780-423-7781 Grande Prairie Fax: 780-425-9246 Beth Turner 1-888-423-9666 Redcliff Toll Free: 1-888-423-9666 [email protected] [email protected] 1-888-423-9666 website: www.acaging.ca REGION 2 [email protected] Diane Walker REGION 9 Annual membership dues, which Cold Lake Floyd Sweet include a subscription to ACA News, 780-639-3868 Vermilion are $60 for organizations; $20 for [email protected] 780-853-4252 households. REGION 3 [email protected] TBA Canadian Publication Mail Product Agreement No. 40028759 Return Undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 9 — 11808 St. Albert Trail, Edmonton AB, T5L 4G4 ACA News, June-August 2011 3 www.acaging.ca Published by the Alberta Council on Aging June-August 2011 The future for Alberta’s Seniors Our thanks to those who made the closing of their presenta- tions. These concerns will be our Red Deer meeting a success featured in our next edition of ACA News along with topics The Alberta Council on Aging held its 44th Annual of interest as identified by General Meeting in Red Deer on May 31 at the Golden ACA members through the Circle, with Mary Anne Jablonski, Minster of Seniors enclosed survey (see pages 21 and Community Supports, as our keynote speaker. to 23). Speaking on behalf of Premier Ed Stelmach, Jablonski On behalf of the ACA Board, addressed how the government’s five-year Health Action Hon. Mary Anne I extend our deep appreciation Plan reflects their commitment to helping keep Seniors Jablonski to Mary Anne Jablonski and in their community. Further, she identified other targets Dr. Raj Sherman for their time that the government wants to achieve in five years, as and information-rich well as the Seniors Drug Plan, Alberta Seniors Benefit sessions. I also want to thank program, and their efforts to protect vulnerable adults. the Central Alberta Council on (For details on these, please see excerpts from Aging for their help in Honourable Jablonski’s speech on page 10.) co-ordinating this event, as Our featured speaker for the afternoon was Dr. Raj well as hosting a reception for Sherman, MLA Edmonton-Meadowlark and Alberta the ACA Board, the Golden Liberal Party Leadership Candidate. Dr. Sherman Circle for their conference addressed what he believes as major issues for Albertans. space, coffee, lunch and These include: responsible government, stable economy, Dr. Raj Sherman snacks. health care, and education. We greatly appreciate our The concerns he addressed specific to Seniors includ- sponsors for their generous support of this event, as well ed: strengthening community supports, home care and as the participating exhibitors, and all the volunteers supports, community lodges, sub-acute and rehab care, who helped make this event possible. Thank you! palliative and long-term care. (See report on page 11). Gary Pool, President Jablonski and Sherman each took several questions at On behalf of the Alberta Council on Aging, I extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Dave Conroy who passed away on May 15, 2011, at age 91. Dave was president of ACA in 1997-98 and served the board in several other positions before and after his term as president. In lieu of flowers and donations, the family requests that you phone your MLA, and request to bury the power lines, and finish the hospital in Sherwood Park. Gary Pool, President Visit the Alberta Council on Aging online at www.acaging.ca 4 ACA News, June-August 2011 ANNUAL REPORT ACA in our prime at 45 In preparation of this piece for the 44th annual report Much effort went into the Preventing Elder Abuse in the ACA News, I pondered the facts that we are now Through Education (PEATE) program, which ends in entering our 45th year in operation, the baby boomers November. We have reprinted the Fraud Prevention and are now reaching age 65, ACA membership is steadily Helping Hands booklets and continue widespread distri- increasing, and, seemingly in no time, we will be cele- bution. The Multi-Cultural Guide has been completed brating our 50th anniversary. In reflecting on ACA’s his- and that is also in distribution. Copies of the Fraud tory and planning for the future, I am mindful that we Prevention guide and DVD have been provided to our exist because of dedicated, passionate volunteers who members, many Seniors’ residences, some Seniors’ cen- believe in ACA’s mission. tres, a number of Family and Community Support As President of ACA these past two years, I have wit- Service (FC&SS) groups and a number of conferences. nessed first-hand the dedication and considerable contri- To date, we have received nothing but good feedback. If butions of time and energy that our volunteers through- you know of any individuals or groups who could use out this province and Canada have made. Some have a copies of these documents please let us know. talent for visionary work and planning, some for leading This past year has also shown a resurgence of interest others, and some are gifted at and need for the Senior Friendly™ Program. An infor- research and effectively sharing mal assessment of the program — coupled with a surge information. Some have a great of requests for Senior Friendly™ training and business/ talent for, and commitment to, community designations throughout Canada — brought advocating, some for developing to light the need for Senior Friendly™ trainers, updated programs, for analyzing policy, policies and procedures, as well as training materials, for budget planning and fiscal practices and venues. These efforts and insights have matters, for reporting, for col- been accomplished by an experienced gerontologist, vol- laborating, and some for fund Gary Pool unteering considerable time to get us to this new, excit- development. Every member ACA President ing growth; additional volunteers were recruited; and a who does anything from fund- Senior Friendly™ Advisory Committee was re-activated raising to filing to educating and to provide expertise and guidance in these develop- leading is valued and all are ments. essential members of the ACA team that keeps us mov- In an effort to support the evolving and growing needs ing forward on behalf of Seniors. of businesses and communities seeking to become age- Over the past year, volunteers have provided signifi- friendly, immediate and long-term needs for training and cant help in both good and not so good times. After last program development were recognized, as well as the year’s Annual General Meeting, we had a period with no need for building stronger collaborative networks. As full-time office staff. During the months of June, July such, a conceptual framework for a collaborative dem- and August the office was staffed solely by volunteers, onstration project was designed to assess the effective- processing new memberships and handling daily opera- ness of the existing Senior Friendly™ Program and tions, researching, writing and preparing the ACA News, develop a more cost effective, accessible, and sustain- assessing programs, and recruiting new office staff. able one. The communities and businesses that have Additionally, the ACA was advised of a rate increase for contacted ACA this past year have been invited to par- the office space, and a search for a new office was ticipate in this demonstration project. launched. After reviewing numerous potential sites, a During the next year, ACA will assist the communities five-year lease was signed and preparations for an office and businesses in becoming age-friendly, and through move to the present location were implemented. collaborative feedback, enhance the age-friendly training In addition to these activities, volunteers have helped tools and processes in the Senior Friendly™ Program. in many ways that have supported other programs. The demonstration project will provide the base for ACA News, June-August 2011 5 ANNUAL REPORT updating and revising materials and processes to opti- In addition, we invite anyone who wants to get mize program flexibility, accessibility, and technical cur- involved with Senior Friendly™ to call.