Seniors’ Week (June 3-9) is a time to celebrate the contributions and value older adults bring to our communities. For the Healthy Aging Alberta team—powered by United Way of Calgary and Area and led by the Community Leadership Council—we believe in celebrating and uplifting older Albertans year-round through our work.
The Healthy Aging Alberta team is sharing some of their achievements from this past year (2023-2024) that show how we are collaborating with communities to empower older Albertans to age how they choose.
We are working hard to make Alberta one of the best places to grow older—where all older Albertans thrive as valued and respected members of their communities.
“Seniors are essential to the vibrancy and future of our city and province. This Seniors Week – and every week – United Way is proud to work closely with the Government of Alberta on Healthy Aging Alberta to make our province one of the best places in the world to grow older.” – Karen Young, President and CEO, United Way of Calgary and Area.
What is Healthy Aging Alberta?
Healthy Aging Alberta (HAA) is a province-wide undertaking made possible through generous funding by the Government of Alberta and other partners. HAA is a by-community-for community initiative that brings together and supports organizations focused on older adults. This allows the sector to speak with a strong, shared voice and helps Community-Based Seniors Serving (CBSS) organizations communicate effectively with other province-wide sectors like health and housing.
Contrary to popular belief, 95 per cent of Alberta seniors live in independent dwellings and are not part of the facility-based care system. Almost all older Albertans say they prefer to age in their own homes in their communities with community-based care and supports.
We work with CBSS organizations and groups to ensure older adults have the opportunities and services needed to stay healthy, active, and connected. We amplify community voices and collaborate with government and systems partners to focus on policies that uphold older adults’ dignity and well-being.
HAA Blog
Healthy Aging Alberta has been connecting and collaborating with senior-serving organizations across our province throughout 2024.
Helping communities access much-needed funding
Accessing funding for local projects, programs, and services can be challenging, particularly in rural and remote areas. Without it, many opportunities and services for older adults would not be possible.
“Having access to the resources and supports we need where we live is vital to maintaining our health and continuing to be active, contributing members of our communities as we age.” – Mariam Elghahuagi, Director of Healthy Aging Alberta.
This is why, this last year, the HAA team partnered with the Government of Alberta to increase our Programmatic Initiatives funding to enhance services and opportunities for older adults in their communities. This includes:
- Supporting 20 organizations serving 52 communities with Community and Home Supports Funding for Older Adults. This empowers older adults across the province with the supports they need to age in place. Community-based organizations are delivering a range of non-medical supports to older adults that promote their psychosocial and mental well-being.
- Implementing the Social Prescribing for Older Adults Program in seven additional locations to serve a total of 10 organizations in 14 communities. Social prescribing is a holistic approach to well-being that connects medical and social care services. Through this approach, health-care professionals refer and connect patients to community-based programs, services, and activities to improve their health and enhance their quality of life. HAA is leading the way on social prescribing on a national and international level.
- Funding seven organizations serving 16 communities in the first phase of the Provincial Assisted Transportation Program, with additional organizations to be announced soon in the second phase. Through this program, local community organizations and partnerships deliver innovative assisted transportation services for older adults in their rural communities—helping them access medical and social services essential for their well-being.
Connecting people and organizations to collaborate on issues and solutions
- To amplify community voices, we connect people and CBSS organizations and groups across the province to collaborate on issues and find solutions. Over the past 12 months, HAA undertook the following initiatives:
- Hosted the first Healthy Aging Alberta Summit in collaboration with the Alberta Association on Gerontology, bringing together 626 delegates online and in-person from across the province and Canada.
- Hosted 12 Regional Gatherings to bring together more than 400 sector leaders to connect and collaborate on local issues and discuss provincial and regional needs.
- Enhanced the capabilities of the Healthy Aging CORE Alberta platform to be a virtual connection space for organizations across the province and country to share information, host events, and serve as a digital knowledge hub.
- Built an extensive Systems Map that will help organizations and allied partners better understand the ecosystem in which Alberta’s CBSS sector operates. The map shows how different players and stakeholders intersect and where connections exist at a community, regional, and provincial level.
- Grew to a Community Leadership Council of 12 representatives from across our province who design and guide HAA’s work.
What is on the horizon for Healthy Aging Alberta?
The Healthy Aging Alberta initiative is only in its fourth year, and we’re just getting started. Some of the areas we’ll be focusing on next include:
- Engaging older adults in this work.
- Engaging CBSS organizations across our province in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and developing a strategy to guide our work, including learning from diverse cultures to address ageism.
- Working with the Government of Alberta on a strategy to support the workforce of the CBSS sector.
- Connecting and raising awareness locally, across provinces, and nationally on critical and emerging issues impacting older adults.
- Mapping our CBSS system to enhance collaboration and partnerships.
How you can get involved this Seniors’ Week
- Learn about Alberta Seniors’ Week at www.alberta.ca/seniors-week.
- Learn more about Healthy Aging Alberta.
- Read our Three-Year Report to learn more about our impact.
- Learn more about the CBSS organizations in your community and how you can contribute to the lives of older adults in our province by volunteering and participating.
- Connect and network with others on CORE Alberta
- Think about how you can recognize the older adults in your life this seniors’ week.
At United Way of Calgary and Area, we believe that everyone plays a role in supporting the wellbeing of older adults, directly impacting the overall health of our communities. Elements like safe housing, social connections, and adequate nutrition are fundamental to preventing illness and promoting wellness. We can create more communities where Albertans are supported as they grow older — in their homes, engaged in their communities — a future we all want and benefit from.
Stay up-to-date on Healthy Aging Alberta by following them on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/healthyagingalberta.