I am pleased to share that Halton Region was recently recognized as an Age-Friendly Community under the Ontario Government’s Age-Friendly Communities Recognition Program. This recognition highlights our commitment to creating inclusive, supportive environments where older adults can live safely, stay active and remain engaged in community life. We were honoured to receive this recognition alongside 68 other municipalities from across Ontario at the recent Rural Ontario Municipalities Association (external link) Conference in Toronto.
Being an Age-Friendly Community is really about making sure people can live well at every stage of life. Here in Halton, we continue to invest in programs and services that help older adults stay healthy, independent and involved, including:
- Accredited Long-Term Care homes at Creek Way Village in Burlington, Allendale in Milton and Post Inn Village in Oakville.
- Accredited Assisted Living and Supports for Daily Living programs that provide on-site personal support services for older adults who wish to remain in their homes.
- Accredited Adult Day Programs offering safe, engaging spaces for social, cognitive and recreational activities for adults with physical disabilities, frail health, Alzheimer’s disease, or related dementias. These programs also offer essential support and respite for caregivers.
- Assisted and Supportive Housing for Older Adults across Halton. We recently welcomed residents to a new building at 265 Kerr Street in Oakville, and construction is underway on 14 semi-detached, one-bedroom bungalow units at 1258 Rebecca Street. Watch the Rebecca Street video (YouTube video link).
- Community Wellness Hubs in five of our Assisted and Supportive Housing communities, delivered in partnership with the Ontario Health Team and other community partners, providing health and social programming for residents and seniors in surrounding neighbourhoods.
- Community Paramedicine services delivering proactive, preventative care through on-site clinic services and remote monitoring programs. These services provide regular health assessments, coaching, vital-sign tracking and timely follow-up to help older adults manage chronic conditions and reduce health risks.
- Specialized in-home support for seniors awaiting long-term care through the 24/7 CPLTC program, providing scheduled and urgent visits, clinical assessments, monitoring and coordination with primary care and community partners to help clients remain safely at home and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
In addition to our services, we are also actively involved with local committees. A member of our Public Health team is the Chair of the local Halton Age Friendly Network and the Provincial Healthy Aging in Public Health Network . Halton’s Older Adult Advisory Committee also continues to advocate for seniors and provides valuable resources for housing, community services, health and more.
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our Halton teams that support older adults, as well as to the members of the Older Adult Advisory Committee. Your dedication helps older adults live, grow and thrive every day.