LONDON, ONT. -- Elgin County is joining forces with the city of St. Thomas, Ont. to ask older adults for their opinion on local services.
You only need to head to Pinafore Park to see that older adults are more active than ever. With information coming to light that 33 per cent of the St. Thomas population is over 55 years old, it was time for city to step up and re-evaluate how to deliver services.
"The pandemic's provide us with this opportunity really to reflect on how we're doing things," says Gary Clarke, a St. Thomas city councillor.
"A lot of people have been alone, and it's showing us that there's some gaps around how to go get people out and active. We're just trying to review it and hear from people what they want.”
Led by Fanshawe College Corporate Training Services a survey directed at adults 55-105 is now available. It is online and will also be delivered in paper form.
"Our seniors were looking for more active programs," says Angela Ostojic, a program coordinator at the St. Thomas Seniors Centre.
"In the last couple of years it's coming mostly I think from their doctors who are telling them that it's never too late to start exercising, it's never too late to start moving. So in the last couple of years our exercise programs have grown greatly anything from a light fitness class to Tai Chi, yoga we have a senior's karate here, we have a drum fit exercise which keeps their minds healthy.”
At the Seniors Centre, the pandemic has crushed the social activity, but Ostojic has been keeping them engaged through virtual programming.
"Some people have found that maybe they like to stay at home as well as come out," says Ostojic.
"I think that we'll find, we'll be doing more virtual, and we'll be having some different ideas coming through the city's plan.”
The city has reached out to the art gallery, Valleyview Retirement Home day program, bowling alleys, and golf courses for ideas. Ultimately they want to hear from individuals.
We stopped a few older adults who were taking advantage of the walking trail around Lake Margaret.
"We don't have enough warm pools in the city at 85-88 degrees because we have a lot of people with arthritis and joint replacements, and they get such a range of motion in a warm pool," says Sandy Hammond.
"I'd like to see some exercise equipment added to the trails where you can walk on a beam, do chin-ups or pushups," says Doris Bettin, who loved that type of equipment in her previous home in Mississauga, Ont.
I'd like to see the interconnecting of communities around St. Thomas so people don't have to bike on roads, but can just use the trails," says Christopher Postings.
Feedback has been coming in, and the city is already getting some ideas.
One thing that we're hearing missing is this, we haven't done a good job with shut-ins," says Clarke.
"People that if they're not joiners because they don't have transportation or there is some, there's barriers with fees. How can we make things easier for people? Can the city come up with some programs and partnerships with other organizations to reduce costs for people?"
The goal is to have a review which aligns with age-friendly programming strategies and new grant opportunities trending across the country as well as St. Thomas' new strategic plan.
That would allow both St. Thomas and Elgin County to offer the right mix of programs and services for current residents and be attractive to new residents and businesses.
"People want to be more active, they don't want to just be sitting around," says Clarke.
"We are seeing that even at an older age, people want to be engaged in active. Pickleball is just going crazy and different activities like that are so popular. So we want to look at how we can deliver more programs.”
'Seniors looking for more active programs'; St. Thomas, Ont. surveying 55+ for service gaps - CTV News London
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