Family Social Sciences Research Symposium

Family Social Sciences Research Symposium
May 2011, Issue 19
Principal Investigator
Verena Menec, Community Health
Sciences, University of Manitoba
On April 8, CURA student Sheri Bell presented at the 2011 Family
Social Sciences Research Symposium, ‘Changing World: Changing
Families’. Sheri has been with the CURA team since last spring
and recently completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in
Sociology. The title of her presentation was “Independence Theory
of Isolation and Exclusion of Older Adults: A Manitoba Analysis”.
Drawing on data from the Age-Friendly Photovoice Study, Sheri
analyzed participant photos and transcripts in relation to the
themes of independence/dependence and exclusion/isolation.
Community Lead
Patti Chiappetta, Manitoba Seniors
and Healthy Aging Secretariat
Co-Investigators
Judy Chipperfield, Psychology,
University of Manitoba
John Everitt, Geography, Brandon
University
Bonnie Hallman, Environment &
Geography, University of Manitoba
Richard Milgrom, City Planning,
University of Manitoba
Frances Racher, School of Health
Studies, Brandon University
Elizabeth Ready, Kinesiology &
Recreation Management, University
of Manitoba
Alexander Segall, Sociology,
University of Manitoba
Laura Taylor, Social Work, University
of Manitoba
Students
Sheri Bell
Laura Rempel
Jennifer Chen
Jennifer McArthur
Lucelia Melo
Jody Reimer
Sheila Novek
Wyeth Krauchi
Research Associates
Using examples of pictures the seniors had taken to illustrate these
concepts, Sheri pointed out the need for an integrated approach
when considering the value western society places on individual’s
independence. As she noted, both structural and cultural factors
are important and necessary to change this dominant way of
thinking.
Nancy Newall
Nadine Nowatzki
John Spina
Collaborators
Frances Kuo, Natural Resources &
Environmental Sciences, University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Amanda Macrae, Age & Opportunity
Inc.
City Planning Students Return to Pinawa
This past year, City Planning students in Dr. Richard Milgrom’s
Studio course studied three different communities focusing on
developing ways for improving the age-friendliness of the built
environment and the services provided. Pinawa, Manitoba (a firstround community in the Age-Friendly Manitoba Initiative) was
the rural community selected. Students had the opportunity to
hold consultations and talk to local residents to identify key issues
that need addressing to make the town more age-friendly, such
as safety on streets for pedestrians and cyclists, accommodating
alternative modes of transportation, and the provision of visitable
housing to name just a few. Working in small groups, the
students then reviewed appropriate literature to develop possible
solutions to address the community’s concerns. A series of posters
were created to visualize these issues and highlight ideas for
improvement. On April 21, students returned to Pinawa to present
their findings to the community. Approximately 85 individuals
were in attendance. The presentation was well received, and the
comments from community members indicate which suggestions
might be implemented, and which require further study.
Community Updates
Virden & Elkhorn Host an Age-Friendly Day
The communities of Virden & Elkhorn held an Age-Friendly Senior
Information Day in Virden on April 19. Over 50 people attended
the event, and 19 community organizations set up display booths.
Attendees were also given another opportunity to complete the
age-friendly survey. The Age-Friendly Advisory Committee created
a new age-friendly brochure for this event, which lists important
contact information for various organizations and senior services.
Portage la Prairie Launches New Senior’s Resource Guide
The Portage la Prairie Age-Friendly Cities Advisory Committee has
developed an up-to-date Senior’s Resource Guide for community
residents. This comprehensive Guide provides useful information
on many services for seniors, including health services, senior’s
organizations, available housing, leisure activities, and additional
services such as grocery delivery and transportation options.
Louise Plouffe, Division of Aging
and Seniors, Government of Canada
Kimberly Weihs, Manitoba Society
of Seniors
Marjorie Wood, Creative Retirement
Manitoba
Community Liaison
Louise Hutton, University of
Manitoba
Partners
Active Living Coalition for Older
Adults (ALCOA)
Age & Opportunity Centres, Inc.
Assiniboine Regional Health
Authority
Brandon Regional Health Authority
Creative Retirement Manitoba
Division of Aging & Seniors, Public
Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
Federal Superannuates National
Association (FSNA)
Manitoba Association of Senior
Centres (MASC)
Manitoba Council on Aging
Manitoba Seniors and Healthy Aging
Secretariat
www.gov.mb.ca/shas/agefriendly
Manitoba Society of Seniors Inc.
NOR-MAN Regional Health Authority
Rural Development Institute
South Eastman Health
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
(WRHA)
Winnipeg in motion
World Health Organization (WHO)
Newsletter editor contact
information
Dawn Veselyuk
Project Coordinator
Phone: 474-6583
Fax: 474-7576
Email: [email protected]
Editorial assistant: Rachel Ines
Age-Friendly CURA is funded by
the Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council of Canada
(SSHRC)
Community Updates continued on page 3
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www.umanitoba.ca/centres/aging/cura
May 2011, Issue 19
Commmunity Updates continued from page 2
RM of Argyle & RM of Strathcona Hold
Community Consultations
The RM of Argyle and the RM of Strathcona,
two of the newest fifth-round age-friendly
communities, each held community consultations
on May 16. Louise Hutton facilitated the
meetings. Also in attendance was Don
Fletcher, a member of the newly formed AgeFriendly Manitoba Resource Team. The AgeFriendly Manitoba Resource Team is assisting
communities in their efforts to become more agefriendly by facilitating community consultations,
providing information and resources, consulting
with advisory committees, and assisting
communities with action planning.
•
Wyeth Krauchi has completed his first year
of the Technical Communication program at
Red River College. He has joined the Centre
on Aging as part of a summer work placement
and will assist with various tasks, such as
designing age-friendly documents and the
website-related work.
Age-Friendly Research Forum –
Mark your Calendars!
The annual CURA Age-Friendly Research Forum
is scheduled for June 17 at the Good Neighbours
Active Living Centre (720 Henderson Highway,
Winnipeg).
New Summer Students
The Age-Friendly CURA team welcomes the
following new summer students:
•
•
Jennifer McArthur completed her Bachelor
of Science (Honours) degree in Psychology
this spring. Her undergraduate thesis,
entitled “Reducing goal conflict to promote
positive exercise behaviours”, looked at an
intervention for increasing moderate physical
activity by reducing conflict between life goals.
Jennifer’s interests include travelling, reading,
and snowmobiling. She will be working
on the age-friendly project until the end of
August, and will be pursuing her Master’s
degree in Community Health Sciences in the
fall.
Jody Reimer recently completed her Bachelor
of Arts degree in Mathematics and Religion
and is a 2011 Rhodes Scholar recipient. She
has taught as an assistant at the university and
volunteered in India during a semester abroad.
She has also studied in Finland as part of her
degree program, and has been a dedicated
leader in recreational programming. Jody will
be working on the age-friendly project for the
months of May and June, and will pursue her
studies at the University of Oxford in the fall.
May 2011, Issue 19
Presentations are scheduled for the morning.
Lunch will be provided to team members in
attendance, and the annual team meeting will be
held in the afternoon.
Published Journal Article on Photovoice
A journal article entitled “Using photovoice with
older adults: Some methodological strengths
and issues” has recently been accepted by the
journal Ageing & Society. Prepared by CURA
student Sheila Novek, along with Verena Menec
and Toni Morris-Oswald (former post-doctoral
student on the CURA team), the article presents
a methodological review of the photovoice
technique that was used in four Manitoba
communities as part of the Age-Friendly CURA
project
www.umanitoba.ca/centres/aging/cura
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WISER IV Study
COMMUNITY SUPPORT & HEALTH SERVICES
A summary of study results was prepared for
participants. Below are select findings of what
WISER IV participants told us in relation to the
age-friendly dimensions:
•
Slightly over one-half of participants (53%)
rated the availability of health care services
in Winnipeg as ‘good’; and one-fifth (20%)
thought that the quality of health care services
in Winnipeg was ‘excellent’.
HOUSING
Health services in Winnipeg
•
Forty-six percent (46%) agreed that their
dwelling is adapted to the needs of seniors,
for example, it has no steps or has an elevator,
and has wide doorways.
•
Just over one-half of participants (53%) felt it
would be easy to adapt their current dwelling
to the needs of seniors (e.g., put in a ramp,
widen doorways); 47% do not think this would
be easy.
•
Close to one-third (31%) thought that they will
need to move out of their current dwelling in
the future. Among those who feel that they
might eventually move, the majority would
prefer to move to a seniors’ apartment/
assisted living facility (47%) or a condo/
apartment (31%).
OUTDOOR SPACES & BUILDINGS
TRANSPORTATION
•
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of those
interviewed ‘strongly agreed’ that it is easy to
walk to a transit stop from their home.
•
Forty-one percent (41%) of participants
‘strongly agreed’ that the sidewalks in their
neighbourhood are well maintained (paved,
even, few cracks); another 32% ‘somewhat
agreed’ with this statement.
•
Approximately 38% of participants ‘strongly
agreed’ that access to businesses in their
neighbourhood is adapted to the needs of
seniors (e.g., automatic doors, wheelchair
ramps) and that businesses in the community
are sensitive to seniors’ needs (e.g., provide
delivery services, large-print menus);
approximately one-half of participants
‘somewhat agreed’ with each of these
statements.
•
In total, 92% of participants ‘strongly agreed’
or ‘somewhat agreed’ that most public
bathrooms in their neighbourhood are
handicap accessible.
VOLUNTEERING
•
Nearly one-half of all participants (46%)
performed unpaid volunteer work in the past
year. Of those who volunteered, close to onethird (32%) volunteered over 15 hours per
month.
Amount of time spent volunteering
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www.umanitoba.ca/centres/aging/cura
May 2011, Issue 19