Isolated elders program : phase II : a summary report

The purpose of the Isolated Elders Program is to identify seniors who are isolated in New Westminster, and to help them get out of their homes and back into the community. It is an innovative program located within a dynamic, changing healthcare system and this report summarizes a process of documentation and research designed to assist service-providers develop the most effective strategies for reducing and preventing social isolation. The focus in Phase I was on the development and evaluation of a training program for senior volunteers: Phase II focuses on a description of the client population, services delivered to them, and what we have learned about isolation. This is a part-time program, requiring a total of 3 112 months per year for the program manager, working with a researcher, 5 senior volunteers, a program assistant, and a practicum student. Methods and procedures for gathering data and preparing the report included: analysis of (a) tracking forms and client information records; (b) interviews with building managers, previous clients, and volunteers; (c) participant observation records of team meetings; and a focus group. (Forms and interview protocols are provided in the Appendix.

Mental fitness for life (September 2001 - May 2002) - Summary report submitted by Sandra Cusack, Ph.D. & Wendy Thompson, M.A.to the Mental Fitness Activity Committee, Century House, New Westminster, B.C.

Most people today have grown up and are growing old with a general view of old age as a period of inevitable decline, and of old people as useless and burdens on society. Such negative attitudes and assumptions continue to haunt them, even when people know better. If you ask people what they fear most about aging, the response usually is "losing it". What is "it" that people fear losing? "It" is mental fitness. The Mental Fitness program at Century House provides compelling evidence that the mind is indeed the new frontier of aging research, and the possibilities for continuous growth and development are unlimited. What does the research say about the impact of learning on health? What is mental fitness? How do we exercise it? What are the benefits and achievements? What is the value of learning? The program consists of a series of eight intensive workshops where participants learn how old attitudes and beliefs about declining mental abilities restrict their options for a vital, healthy old age. How to change negative to positive beliefs that reflect potential for growth, how to speak the language of possibility, how to think critically and creatively, how to appreciate diversity and different perspectives, how to take risks, and how to listen to each other with renewed respect are all aspects of the program. The challenge to participants is to become mentally fit for life. A theme throughout is -- out with the old and in with new: (1) Out with the old research and knowledge, and in with the new; (2) Out with the old beliefs, and in with the new; and (3) Out with the old person, and in with the new. This report will describe the program and its benefits. For the first time, a valid and reliable screening scale for depression was used with important results that have implications for future mental fitness research and program development (Special thanks to Dr. Norm O\u27Rourke for providing the CES-D and to Mary Rogers, a graduate student in the Gerontology Program, for assistance with the statistics.

Developing seniors as leaders : final report of a leadership and organizational development program for the Dogwood Pavilion Association, City of Coquitlam

During recent years, the Dogwood Pavilion Association, like many other seniors centres, has experienced a shortage of trained leaders willing to assist in the delivery of over 100 activities the centre provides to everyone over 50 in the community of Coquitlam (a district which became a city in December of 1993). In consultation with two leadership training consultants, the Coordinator in charge of the centre (Jill Rowledge), Past President (Crosby Johnston), and President (E.T. Cross) brought together a New Horizons Board to secure funding for a project, The Seniors Leadership Initiative, to develop more effective senior leadership at Dogwood Pavilion, the Town Centre Seniors Group, and throughout the City of Coquitlam. The project included two equally important aspects of leadership development: (1) a close examination of leadership in Dogwood Pavilion; and (2) a leadership and personal development program for members. This report includes: (1) Plan and time-frame of the project; (2) Ethnographic study of culture of Dogwood Pavilion; (3) Survey of membership regarding leadership training needs; (4) Description of the leadership and personal development training program for members; (5) Formal evaluation of the leadership training program; (6) Press release to inform the community about the training program and future opportunities for senior leadership; (7) Consultant\u27s recommendations for leadership development; and (8) Final recommendations arising from the Focus Group discussion with members of the New Horizons\u27 Board, the Advisory Board, training program participants, and staff

Mental fitness pilot project : a summary report

During the past five years, Century House has played a leadership role in supporting innovative community research projects in the area of lifelong learning for seniors, culminating in the mental fitness pilot project. Research and development work is divided into three phases: Phase I - Lifelong Learning Project (Needs Assessment); Phase II - Mental Fitness Research Project; Phase III - Mental Fitness Pilot Program. During this third phase, the consultants\u27 task was to develop, facilitate, and evaluate a series of 8 intensive all-day mental fitness workshops based on the components of mental fitness as outlined in the mental fitness research project; subsequently to offer a series of half-day workshops to introduce a second group of people to the fundamentals of mental fitness. This report focuses on the 8-week series of all-day workshops and provides an outline of the sessions, captures topics of interest, and recommends future directions for programming of a practical nature (e.g., memory skills) to help people keep mentally fit for life. Every attempt has been made to capture the experiences and voices of participants (actual quotes are italicized). The goal of the mental fitness program is a healthy mind in a healthy body. Objectives were: (1) to develop knowledge and skills of mental fitness; (2) to promote the attitudes of mental fitness (optimism, flexibility, confidence, self-esteem); and (3) to promote healthy lifestyles that sustain mental fitness

A health promotion curriculum for community health workers

The theme of the 77th annual Canadian Public Health Conference, "Health Promotion: Strategies for Action", reflects consideration of a changing mandate for public health. To address the trend away from prevention to health promotion, the New Westminster Seniors Bureau and the Keep Well Project (B.C. Ministry of Health), with funding from Canada Employment and Immigration, have developed a health promotion curriculum for community health workers. The curriculum is a framework for teaching a post-basic course in health promotion to healthcare professionals and community service workers preparing to develop and coordinate community programs for seniors. The purpose of this paper is to outline the development and the content of the curriculum. The development of the curriculum follows a 4-step process: 1. needs assessment; 2. program planning; 3. Implementation; and 4. evaluation and recommendations. The curriculum which was produced includes objectives, issues, and a current bibliography relative to ten content areas and was piloted as a series of ten workshops held at Douglas College in the Spring of 1986

Developing a lifelong learning program for seniors in New Westminster [BC]

This report contains a case study of a lifelong learning program as an integral part of developing and conducting a needs assessment. This unique experience in educational leadership was designed to increase the role of seniors in building a healthy lifelong learning community and to deepen our understanding of what, where, and how to better serve the learning needs of seniors in New Westminster

Mental fitness : a critical component of healthy aging - Summary report of a community research and development project

The purpose of the mental fitness project was to expand the role of seniors in building a healthy community by developing a group of seniors as mental fitness advocates, and working with them to define the concept of mental fitness and the components of a mental fitness program. Ultimately, our goal was to establish mental fitness as an essential component in a holistic approach to health. Objectives: (1) To explore the relationship between health and learning; (2) To train a group of seniors in public speaking and advocacy, and to support them in advocating and promoting mental fitness as a component of healthy aging; (3) To explore and clarify the concept of mental fitness through research and focus group discussion; (4) To identify the components of a program in mental fitness for seniors. The project was divided into three phases spanning a six-month period: (1) Planning and Promotion; (2) Research and Development; (3) Evaluation and Strategic Planning. PLANNING AND PROMOTION: As the project consultants, we (an adult educator and a community researcher) conducted a preliminary search of the literature during the first phase. Then, a series of planning sessions was held with a steering committee consisting of the centre\u27s Lifelong Learning Advisory Group, the Director and Programmer, and an Adult Education Coordinator from Community Education. The purpose of the meetings was to begin to explore the concept of mental fitness, to establish a detailed work-plan, and to promote and recruit participants for the research and development phase of the project. Potential participants were invited to an introductory session which was promoted in the centre and the local newspaper

Mental fitness seminar series : highway to 2001, October 1998 to May 1999. Summary report.

During the past six years, the research and development of mentalfitness for seniors at Century House has proceeded in five phases:Phase I - Lifelong Learning Project (Needs Assessment)Phase II - Mental Fitness Research ProjectPhase III - Mental Fitness Pilot ProjectPhase IV - Mental Fitness: The Continuing ExperiencePhase V - Mental Fitness: Highway to 2001During the 1998/1999 season, Century House made a formal commitment through designation of funds for the seminar series to be continued through to the World Congress on Aging in July of 2001. All those who had participated in an introductory course were invited to travel the "Highway to 2001" together. The continuing series will be designed to:(1) deepen and extend understanding and practice of the seven skill components of mental fitness;(2) build on individual needs and interests of participants;(3) take maximum advantage of opportunities to develop and promote mental fitness that arise in the centre and wider community

Flying high : a guide to shared leadership in retirement

The program is for: (1) senior leaders who would like more people in their group or organization to assume leadership responsibilities; (2) senior participants who are not happy with the kind of leadership their group or organization is providing; (3) senior volunteers who would like a greater share in decision-making in their groups or organizations; and (4) seniors in traditional leadership roles who would like to enhance their skills

Mental fitness : the continuing experience...: Summary report

During the past five years, the research and development of mental fitness for seniors at Century House has proceeded in three distinct phases: Phase I - Lifelong Learning Project (Needs Assessment); Phase II - Mental Fitness Research Project; Phase III - Mental Fitness Pilot Project; PHASE IV: Mental Fitness: The Continuing Experience. While providing needed programs for Century House, Phase IV also presented an opportunity to address a number of additional questions related to the development of (A) a model program that would work with diverse groups of people and (B) a model for second level programming for people who have taken an introductory course. Based on our experience with the pilot program, our task was: (A) To develop, implement, and evaluate a basic model program, Introduction to Mental Fitness. (B) To develop, implement, and evaluate a series of monthly seminars, Mental Fitness: The Continuing Experience, for all those who participated in the pilot program. These two programs are experimental, part of our ongoing search for the formula for lifelong mental fitness.This report contains a descriptive evaluation of both A and B above, and rich insights concerning mental fitness, its many benefits, and how it can be most effectively developed throughout the full span of life. In the report, italics represent direct quotes of participants from either the documentation of discussions or written feedback questionnaires