Christine Whelan FEO, June 8, 2023, VOL. 4 ISSUE 21 

June is Seniors Month, a time to give thanks and give back.

As posted on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario website, “By proclaiming the month of June as Seniors Month, the Province of Ontario formally recognizes and celebrates the work seniors have done and are doing in our communities. Seniors Month will place a greater significance on the health and well-being of our seniors and will serve as a catalyst to keep our older adults socially connected and engaged in their respective communities. It will also encourage inclusion and promote age-friendly communities.”

The 2023 theme is Working for Seniors, recognizing the hard work seniors have done all their lives.

We are working for seniors by recognizing and celebrating their accomplishments and milestones, funding seniors programs that promote wellness, social connections, and education in communities across the province, and making it easier to find programs and services available for seniors in Ontario, including tax credits, health, caregiving, housing, transportation and staying safe.

Age-friendly Communities

Age-Friendly Communities are inclusive, accessible environments with programs and services that help seniors stay connected. These communities can include:

• outdoor spaces and buildings that are accessible to seniors

• accessible communication and information about services and programs

• improved transportation services and housing for seniors

• more social and civic participation opportunities.

According to the Government of Canada website’s Age-Friendly Communication page, Canada’s population of people aged 65 and older has grown more than twice as fast as the overall population since the early 1980s, a trend that will continue for decades to come.

Today, Canadians aged 65 and older make up 13% of our population. Flash forward to 2036 and seniors will account for one-quarter of all Canadians.

Recognizing Worthiness

Revera, a retirement living resource shared on their website that a new report suggests Canadian seniors volunteer more time and money than any other demographic. Seniors’ volunteer efforts have generated more than $ 10.9 billion in economic value in Canada.

“Seniors make a remarkable contribution to Canada,” President and CEO Thomas Wellner commented in a press release. “They are not only active community members, committed to living a life of purpose, but they also feel a sense of responsibility to create a better world for future generations.”

Dick Cornish, Executive Director at Marian Chateau Retirement Living in Regina, says volunteering also helps seniors stay active in the community “They are so happy to still be engaged in their community because it’s the community they helped to build. The older adults that volunteer on a regular basis are just exuding happiness,” Cornish added. “It’s wonderful to see.”

Recognizing Our Seniors

How can we participate? While all levels of our society — levels of government, businesses, organizations, groups — contribute in their own specific ways, we, as individuals, have the power to contribute in everyday, simple ways that have the potential for great effect.

While it’s a normal part of our human existence to address the need for assistance in daily life as we age, it can also lead to feelings of losing independence. Showing our appreciation for the seniors in our lives can make a positive impact on their perception of accepting help from others.

Send Handwritten Notes

Many older adults were raised in a time when sending letters was the norm. Taking the time to write a simple note to an older adult in your life can also give a message of acknowledgment.

Take a Trip Down Memory Lane

Is there someone in a seniors’ residence you haven’t visited in a while? Seniors have so many wonderful stories and many love to share them, if given a chance. Taking time to listen to a story or two, actively listening, asking questions, and engaging in the specifics helps them feel heard and valued. And you may just learn something incredible.

Ask Them for Advice

One of the best parts of aging is the wisdom that comes with life experiences. Many older adults love to share their experiences and lessons learned over the years. While there may be times the advice given may not necessarily be what you were looking for, it may help you grow closer to them and learn more about what their life was like before you knew them.

Simply Tell Them That You Care

Tell them how much you appreciate them. It can be easy to lose track of what’s important by thinking of the perfect gesture. Don’t overthink it. It can take you less than a minute to say something, but it can leave a lasting impression.

Ask Them If They Need Help

Seniors often don’t want to be a burden and try to retain more independence than they can handle. A key way to honor them is to check up on them regularly and help them with tasks that may be too difficult for them to take on themselves like cutting their grass, bringing over groceries, shovelling their driveway in the winter or picking up their mail.

Put Your Pets To Work

Most people love animals and pets have been shown to reduce stress and produce a calming effect with their presence. If you have an animal that isn’t too rambunctious, bring on the cuteness factor and put them to work. Many older adults can’t take on the responsibilities of owning and caring for a pet, but allowing them to visit with yours can help fill a gap.

Say ‘Thank You.’

Did a senior citizen you know serve in World War II, or the Korean or Vietnam wars? Did they teach, volunteer, raise kids, or do something to make the community a better place? Why not say ‘thank you’ to them, just to make them feel like they are still appreciated? Bring a pretty bunch of flowers to brighten their day. Or make a hot meal for them. ‘Thank you’ is so easy to say and it costs very little.

And if you, the reader, are a senior, I want to say, thank you. You are the gems of our community. You hold the history, the stories, the memories, the keepers of family values. You are the tie to our own pasts. You are education. You are the foundation. You are wisdom. You are the heroes. And you are recognized.