Summary of what people told us... |
- June 28th, Yakimovich Wellness Centre
- Public engagement with seniors varying ages, 19 attended
What are the best recreation opportunities in your communities for parks and recreation, services and facilities?- Walking and Willows beach because it is flat and two times is exactly 2 miles
- Like the staff at Crystal Pool as they are very friendly
- Like CH Rec equipment – don’t know if I can anymore but use to take a fitness circuit
- Out trip on CH bus to go up island was a good price
- Still driving but up island is now too far
- Staff that are helpful (Crystal) make a big difference and trained staff that know how to help me.
- Commonwealth Place dive tank is great because it is warm but transportation is a issue
- Aberdeen rehab/neuro 50-100 year x 1 month
- Like Cedar Hill Rec because it is close
- Sidewalks are unsafe
- Bike lanes to and from parks for Aberdeen
- Would like to take clients to the gym but need support and trained staff
- Would like to have a kinesiologist on site – doesn’t have to be full time but it would be nice to have someone there
- Also volunteer students or a family member can help train at the same time is a bonus
- A woodworking course would be nice
- JuanDeFuca offers poker, shuffle boards and canasta
- Poker is very popular in James Bay 55+
- Hard to garden – lose balance
- Knitting would be a good course to add
- Volunteer to show people how to paint
- Gyro beach has good power wheelchair friendly – need more!
- Health Programs
- Participate in osteofit at SCP
- It would be nice to have seniors only night like Esquimalt
- Get orientations on seniors night
- Great walking – can’t use chip trail
- Entrance to SCP was great but the change rooms were broken and had to hold onto bars to get into pool
- Inside walking track
- Track surface is great for arthritis
- Elder Academy offered early morning/weekend activity. Different activity all the time (spin bike)
- Parks are great – like to keep parks natural
- Accessibility is about walking easily and safe
- Offer social activities in Parks
- Educational walk around the parks to talk about flowers and plants
- Swim every other day at SCP because it is close and 7-8 pm. I’m busy in the day
- Learning guitar – hope to continue at GH
- GH weight room is too noisy now in the late afternoon
- Would like ukulele lessons
- Music is very important
- Ballroom dance
- Hawaiian dance lessons meaningful and not that hard
- Like Mt. Tolmie and Mt. Doug flat areas
- Annual pass should be more reasonable, or lower the age to 85 for free
- Income is cut when people retire so a break on passes would help
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Where do you look for Information? - Saanich News
- ALG
- Website
- Have a senior book that is smaller than ALG
- Library
What are some of the ways to make parks or recreation centres more friendly and welcoming for older adults?
Parks: - A park like Francis King Park that has a boardwalk makes it accessible for all – would like to see some parks in Saanich have this kind of accessibility
- Currently are single focus – would like to see multi-purpose – ie/ have a coffee stand by the park or secondary purposes to introduce people to the park
- Queen Alexandra has accessible pathways and when you get to the beach there is a cement pad where people who are in wheelchairs can access and be on the beach vs. staying on the path and looking at the beach-would like the opportunity to access a beach within Saanich in my wheelchair
- Assess the ground finishing’s – bark mulch does not work for people who use walkers - cover trails with other finishing’s
- More benches – have benches that are not so low – is there a way to have benches that are a little higher?
- More washrooms
- Greeters at the parks especially during peak times
- Interpreters for the parks
- Boards that identify the plants and trees in parks
- Markings on the trails to show distances
- Clearer markings/signage of the entrance of parks
- Suggestion: Saanich have a parks phone line- when someone calls into the line with a question about a park then the person will on the line will be able to answer questions about Saanich parks and trails
- Suggestion: Cedar Hill Trail – have a trail that is rated easy and a trail that is marked hard…so this ranking for other parks too
- Likes going to Willows Beach because of the accessibility/food place/bus
- Trails that are wide enough for two wheelchairs to pass one another going opposite directions from each other
- Sidewalks too – more often than not – one wheelchair coming from one direction and another wheelchair coming of the opposite direction – there is no room for each to pass one another without having to wait for the one person to pass…wider sidewalks to get to places like recreation centres, parks or trails
Recreation Centres: - Viewing areas – allow older adults watch kids swimming/playing hockey
- Hand rails- have hand rails in the centre – something for people to hang onto – especially anywhere in the Centre you have to walk a distance often from the front door to get to an activity
- Like a centre where the front desk is not front and centre- more off to the side – reason because I feel I need to ask permission from the front desk to go to spaces in the centre
- Want to feel safe around the pool – currently does not feel safe around the pool especially in the change rooms – participants experience has been at Saanich Commonwealth Pool – have accessible change rooms that are not close to the family change rooms because when little children are running around the change room areas I feel I could be knocked down and fall – thus making me feel unsafe before I even get to the pool.
- Timing of when people are out and about
- Timing of programs – offer programs on weekends as many seniors are overbooked during the week (Monday – Friday) but are not as busy on weekends as well as afternoons and early evenings 6pm)
- Building social communities:
- With like-minded people
- Common area for people to connect with each other
- Build upon diversity
- Not just an insular group but a group that is welcoming to all
- Maybe have a place to people watch
- Looking for a community – a community hub where all ages meet and connect – no community hub/centre in Saanich; Saanich does not have a CORE place – Saanich needs to have a CORE place (for things like outdoor music, Canada Day picnic, other activities)
- Better signage in and out of recreation centre-to direct people to the different areas of the recreation centre
- Greeters/ambassadors/peer volunteers (all groups made this suggestion) at the door to welcome people to the Centre, orientation to the Centre/discussion of what is being offered in the Centre
- Front reception staff be more welcoming and keep desk low so you can see the front reception staff – especially if one is sitting in a wheelchair or using a walker/cane
- When paying for something at the front desk using the debit/interac machine – have longer cords on the debit machines that can reach over the counter for people how have mobility issues
- Like to mingle with all ages – not be segregated
- Recreation Centres offer technology programs ie Use of an IPad
- Wish Cedar Hill Recreation Centre had a pool
- Pools: individuals who want to do their own exercises in the pool wish they had space to do so- pools often do not have space available for individuals who want to do their own pool workout – have a space in the pool that is accessible
- Costs: do not qualify for LIFE pass those seniors in the low/mid income categories are finding the cost of a year pass expensive – any chance of lowering the cost of a year’s pass? Like to $250.00/year
- Lower the age for a free pass – make it 85 years and older get a free pass vs 90 years old and free pass
- Active Living guide: a separate section for seniors
- Language: offer programs descriptions in other languages
- some cultures meet with each other ie Japanese older adults meet with each other but do not mix with others due to language – language is the barrier
- some cultures meet with each other ie Japanese older adults meet with each other but do not mix with others due to language – language is the barrier
- Terminology:
- Older adult too broad a term
- Use elder vs older adult
- Age groupings:
- 50-75 years
- 76-90 years
- 90+
- Transportation:
- Bus routes – bus stops from Centres often very long walk – ie/Gordon Head Recreation Centre and Saanich Commonwealth Place- long walks from bus stop to the Centre
- Offer programs at Seniors Housing sites
- Rose Bank Gardens by Cedar Hill Middle School - Saanich come out and offer programs at Rose Bank Gardens – many seniors live in this complex and they have a recreation room
- Need someone to instruct an exercise class or more at Rose Banks
- Need someone to instruct an exercise class or more at Rose Banks
- Themes:
- Social connections are important – a place for this to happen
- Accessibility both in recreation centres and in parks and on trails
- Having greeters/ambassadors/peer mentors to welcome and show people around – and review happenings in the Centre
- Our question related to Health Care needs and rehabilitation - experienced by persons seeking ways of accessing dependable, effective physical therapy and activities that can help them stay healthy after medical interventions… AND stay connected in their community.
Being able to find the right resources following surgery was seen as a critical challenge. Especially for those post-surgical patients who live on their own, having both the clarity and energy to find out how to access resources is a daunting task.
What’s working: After heart surgery, the Take Heart program was super; the partnership programs at GH were mentioned favourably – and people mentioned the new programs initiated: brain injury and TIME program. Saanich could develop MORE partnerships, ideally located in the rec centres.
Some of the Challenges:
After the initial program at the Rec centre ended, one person found the engagement at the Rec centre difficult to sustain. Continuing on in the regular stream of the rec centre proved to be overwhelming: the noise of the gym, the full-on music, the noise … all added to discomfort and stress; the patient eventually left the activities at Gordon Head out of frustration. Was there a way of communicating the hesitation to go? Yes, people listened, but it was too difficult to make huge changes. Music OK for the younger folks, but in the later PM or evening it was too loud. Timing was also a factor. This was made more difficult by trying to be involved at times when families were participating.
Another group added to this:
“It seems that there is commonly held belief in recreation centres that seniors have free time all day; thus, most classes for seniors are in the morning when families are not present. So, it is difficult for people who do not operate within these accepted timelines to access suitable activities in the evenings or weekends. I have moved to having a personal training time in Yoga and stretching classes. I belong to Juan de Fuca centre... A long drive, but it is worth it because it is run by members, and taught by peers. ALL TIMES are offered; year round. “If I want to join a class it has to fit. If I do it on my own, I then am in isolation. If I join up and walk with a group, the timing is always a strain.”
A person talked about the fractured feeling coming out of the hospital, with everything being offset. “We need comfort… we need programs that offer the understanding, the short term bridging back into regular living”.
Doctors and health practitioners would offer special seminars/presentations, but often these have not worked. One person recounted the time coming out of open-heart surgery, receiving info that was handed out in the post-surgery session; the phases of recovery defined in the brochures were off the mark for her, leaving her without confidence that there was a system in place to help her. In contrast the Yakimovich Heart Program was far superior… with physicians offering a clear pathway of recovery … the mechanics of the… they described clearly to participants the best way to recover… and the resources they needed. (Also, Women Heart program near UVic was noted as exemplary)
People generally agreed that the recreation centres hold the potential for offering a more “healing-related” environment. One person however felt that a shift to rehab and health -focused programs might be at the expense of others in the community; those taxpayers who depend on rec centres for pure recreation.
Active Living Guide: All agreed that it takes time to decipher and sort out what you need.
PARKS: “When I looked for Parks that could be possible for me to access, I phoned, but no information was forthcoming. I need maps; I need someone to redirect me forward to the people in the know.”
The cost of programs can be really expensive. One person talked about being cut off rehab after three paid sessions with a physiotherapist. LIFE was mentioned as invaluable by one person “I have been using it. Limited income does not enable me otherwise to use the programs.” Interesting that 2 others in the café group were not aware of the LIFE options.
A recreation therapist in the group suggested that her role was designed to serve as a bridge between hospital care and independence. But all agreed that we need more effective ways to connect to this resource. And connect to the Rec Centres.
“Our initial step is trying to succeed in getting in the door of the rec centres or Health Centres; just getting exposure to what exists is so important. We need more personalized orientation to the centres. Possible deepened ties with Rec. “
With the post-surgery programs – what we found really welcoming:
1) all the people there had similar (not identical) experiences
2) there was opportunity to talk about similar experiences with other
IDEA: initiating a mentorship program of older adult volunteers at Rec Centres who would serve as guides – being matched up with new program participants who are tentative, hesitant, with some fear of the uncertainty of their new condition and what might lie ahead. Mentors could help orient new people to the potential resources to be found at rec centres, the various spaces and programs available outside the formal rehab program, and help create some sense of new community for those coming in.
One person cited health issue related to balance, and the protracted waiting period for a specialist appointment. The waiting period is “scary”.
One participant: “I am looking to get off O2 reliance. Looking for the right program that will enable me to access the right exercise program for the specific health issue that I have… IHA offers some in the south island. How does a person get enrolled into a case load for health support? SARA (?) network was mentioned. It should connect patients to the recreation therapy that
People spoke about great service when they are linked to recreation therapists in the health centres. The service is personalized in the professional centres. But there seems to be a GAP or confusion between the various partners in health; the district and the professionals.
The Rec Centres should clarify and develop this avenue with better “case managers” or middle liaison persons: 1) make the first experience welcoming 2) ensure that there are proper professionals 3) and specific programs for different health issues. Liaison is cheerleading and educational role.
Also key is access to things beyond physical therapy. Patients who are losing physical capacity still need to stay socially active. Isolation is the biggest enemy of those aging.
VIHA or IHA agencies are really difficult to communicate with, to find information. Higher and higher expectations are being placed on community. One member explains the situation of not knowing where to go to learn how to live with a radically changed level of capacity.
We need a one-stop shop to access the right resource pathway.
“The key is building community”
“I could find the right machines, for the general health, the accessories necessary to make it work becomes complicated: those accessories should be on site.”
Another perspective: “We are not getting adequate rehab from facilities. Rehab has been cancelled in the hospitals. Now they are suggesting a REC centre. All OK if I am along the road to rehab, but not early on. I also don’t want to take the place of other people of all generations who have paid taxes to use the centres. Not sure that rec centres are the right place for rehab! “
Post-surgery; people can be left in the cold.
Personal experience of one person: Rehab was good: 8 weeks, twice a week, Physio clinic with OT Group for people with long-term recovery. Sometimes the hospital setting is best. The program was going to be at Juan de Fuca. Issue: 1) a good program but hard to access info.
Two rec centres that offer swim therapy. But we need the right equipment in the change rooms, showers, easy access to the water – all equipment needs to be reviewed from an OT perspective; and it needs to be maintained.
Involvement of Rec centres could offer a place in the winter time for gentle exercise, providing a warm and safe environment.
How to mobilize our seniors who can offer as volunteers mentorship of 1) refugees 2) people who have suffered similar trauma
Ideas; Get together with others who have different perspectives; mix ages generate ideas. Perhaps in the Parks - build opportunities for interchange or forum for people to come together and exchange culture and ideas and knowledge