Seniors Summit 2019
City of Greater Sudbury Seniors Summit 2019
October 24, 2019 and November 21, 2019
Held at the Caruso Club – Sponsored by the Seniors Advisory Panel
The Greater Sudbury Seniors Summit 2019 – A Call to Action, was held on Thursday, October 24, 2019 with over 400 participants gathering at the Caruso Club in Sudbury for a community conversation about seniors’ issues and concerns.
The group included persons with an interest in the future of older adults living in Greater Sudbury. Seniors, family caregivers, professional service providers from the public and private sector, City staff from a variety of departments, the CAO and general managers from the City, as well as the Mayor and some City Councillors attended the event. During the day, participants met in small groups to identify the main issues and concerns facing seniors today, then took time to examine some possible solutions and potential plans of action that might address these concerns.
On Thursday, November 21, 2019, a follow-up to the Seniors Summit was held with approximately 250 participants gathering once again at the Caruso Club in Sudbury to review and validate the recommendations that came from the October event. It was an opportunity to make additional recommendations and discuss next steps in the development of a Greater Sudbury Seniors’ Strategy.
Action-Oriented Recommendations
The action-oriented recommendations that were suggested for the City of Greater Sudbury were grouped into eight Age-Friendly Strategy pillars:
- Outdoor Spaces and Buildings
- Transportation
- Housing
- Social Participation
- Respect & Social Inclusion
- Civic Participation & Employment
- Communication & Information
- Community Support & Health Services
A number of action-oriented recommendations were also suggested for the following:
- The Seniors Advisory Panel
- Community Organizations and Groups
- Neighbours & Individuals
- Caregivers
- Schools & Students
Seniors Summit 2019 Strategic Objectives and Goals
The Seniors Summit 2019 produced over 162 action oriented recommendations to address the issues and challenges facing older adults in the City of Greater Sudbury. The recommendations mainly centered around the following strategic objectives and goals:
- To provide older adults with a variety of suitable housing options and accommodation models in order for them to age in place in their own home within their own community.
- To provide older adults with appropriate support services in order for them to age in place in their own accommodation setting within their desired community.
- To provide family and volunteer caregivers with appropriate training, services and support in order to provide for the complex needs of older adults in their care.
- To establish community health & wellness centres in strategic locations throughout the city in order to effectively serve older adults in close proximity to where they live.
- To implement appropriate population health strategies designed to complement home and neighbourhood health and wellness programs and support services with a focus on enhancing the well-being of older adults regardless of where they live or their current socio-economic status.
- To ensure that municipal facilities and properties are suitably maintained and kept in a state of repair year round in order to address the wide range of physical and mobility needs of older adults.
- To develop strategies which will ensure sufficient personal support worker services are available to meet the needs of older adults whether they are living at home, in supportive housing, or in long-term care facilities.
- To develop appropriate strategies and policies in order to meet the growing demand from low-income older adults for suitable and affordable housing.
- To provide support to family caregivers, individual neighbours, schools, churches and community organizations to encourage them to accept more responsibility for overcoming the loneliness and social isolation issues facing older adults as they age in place within their desired home and community.