Cobourg is Piloting Special Seniors’ Challenge Project
Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Though they may no longer work, one imperative need for seniors is to stay engaged, Community Training and Developmet Centre representative Madelaine Currelly told Cobourg council Monday night.
To that end, her agency is in the beta-testing phase of a new project called the Networked Communities Challenge For Seniors.
Currelly recalled that her agency had been part of the Age-Friendly Community Study for the county two years ago.
“That indicated very clearly that seniors in this community wish to participate. They want to make sure their skills, abilities and knowledge are used and are effective,” she said.
“They also indicated they are not aware of many local organizations, services or groups they could join.”
They applied to the province for funds to establish a way to insure seniors are engaged in their communities and to find things they themselves could not find. As provincial data say that 70% of seniors are now actively on-line, they decided to go with a platform they could access on their cell phones. The result is a free app.
Visit the Play Store for Android devices or the App Store for iPhones, download the Challenj app, search for the Networked Communities Challenge, and follow the instructions.
The first step is an assessment to find out where the user’s interests lie. It’s a simple survey, but it will shape exactly what challenges are delivered to the user.
They have compiled 120 challenges, Currelly said, with input from local organizations and groups. The user will receive a daily task over a given period of time, suggesting contacts and projects to be pursued.
It’s a pilot project for the Cobourg-Port Hope area, she said, but it can be replicated in any community. They have committed to the province to sign up 500 users.
Councillor Debra McCarthy said she had signed up and found it interesting. Though she considers herself fairly tuned in to the community, she was still surprised and intrigued by some of the challenges.
“In enticing seniors to be active, you are also giving them the opportunity to go outside their normal routine and that, in turn, leads to quality of life,” McCarthy commented.
“Social isolation, we know, is a very serious issue, and one that the province is very concerned about,” Currelly agreed.
“As we age, we tend to isolate ourselves more and more, and that can bring on a myriad of health issues, depression being one of them obviously.
“To invite seniors to be socially active and to support that social activity is a very important component of a community that’s aging.”
Councillor Suzanne Seguin asked Currelly what her definition of “senior” might be.
“I think people define themselves,” she replied.
“I think there are 90-year-olds who don’t like being called a senior, and there are 50-year-olds who are delighted to get the discount at Shoppers.
“I see it as being a positive part of life, and I don’t want to define it as an age category. I think it’s very personal – it really depends on the individual.”
Author: Pete Fisher
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