Copy
  Age Friendly Edmonton
Community Newsletter
New to Age Friendly Edmonton?
Check out our web page for our story.

In the August Issue

  • AFE Priority Series: Ageism
  • Lets End Ageism - TedTalk
  • Community Highlight
  • AFE Leadership Table Opportunity 
  • August Events
August 2018 Featured Stories:
Agesim

As AFE 2.0 moved forward we would like to have an ongoing series focusing on our four priority areas: Diversity, Aging in Place, Intergenerational, and Ageism. So in this we kick off our first in a three part series on Ageism! And we begin with a deeper dive on what Ageism looks like in our everyday life and how we can combat this at times subtle aggression. 

Every day we develop views, beliefs, opinions and attitudes based on information that we pick up from a number of sources: family members and peers, the media, and brief personal meetings. These sources provide a mixture of information that may include myths, stereotypes and prejudicial and discriminatory attitudes. Some of this information causes us to misjudge those whom we perceive to be different from ourselves. As individuals going about our busy daily lives, we often consciously or unconsciously make two key assumptions. The first is that everyone who looks or sounds the same is the same. The second is that everyone who looks or sounds like us is like us. These assumptions are often incorrect. 

Ashton Applewhite, an anti-ageism writer who we’ll hear from later, provides a good description of ageism:

“Like racism and sexism, ageism serves a social and economic purpose: to legitimize and sustain inequalities between groups. It’s not about how we look. It’s about how people in power assign meaning to how we look.”

An age friendly city is an inclusive place where age is not a barrier to access services, programs, businesses or facilities. Creating an age friendly city helps us all. In practical terms, age-friendly environments are free from physical and social barriers and supported by policies, systems, services, products and technologies that:

  • promote health and build and maintain physical and mental capacity across the life course; and
  • enable people, even when experiencing capacity loss, to continue to do the things they value.

Age-friendly practices help build older people's abilities to:

  • meet their basic needs;
  • learn, grow and make decisions;
  • be mobile;
  • build and maintain relationships; and
  • contribute.

In doing so, age-friendly practices:

  • recognise the wide range of capacities and resources among older people;
  • anticipate and respond flexibly to ageing-related needs and preferences;
  • respect older people's decisions and lifestyle choices;
  • reduce inequities;
  • protect those who are most vulnerable; and
  • promote older people's inclusion in and contribute to all areas of community life.


-Adapted from Senior Serving Organizations - A Toolkit for Inclusion & WHO Age-Friendly in Practice

 Lets End Ageism - TedTalk
We mentioned her once already but now we’ll turn to Ashton Applewhite who asks us to look at ageism — the assumption that older people are alike and that aging impoverishes us. She presented at a Ted Talk conference on the topic of Ageism and we found it quite inspiring!

Why you should listen

Ashton Applewhite would like us to think differently about growing older. As she writes: "Aging is a natural, lifelong, powerful process that unites us all. So how come so many of us unthinkingly assume that depression, diapers, and dementia lie ahead? Because of ageism -- the last socially sanctioned prejudice."
 
Community Highlight - Revera
As we highlight our four priority areas: Diversity, Aging in Place, Intergenerational, and Ageism we will be reaching out to our community to see what work is already being done in the area. This month we turn to Revera, who through a strategic focus on growth, innovation and leadership, the company strives to improve the aging experience of people in its communities.  
 

Ageism is getting old – let’s do something about it

Ageism – stereotyping against people because of their age –  is the most tolerated form of social prejudice in Canada compared to racism and sexism. Many well-intentioned Canadians are, in fact, depriving their elders of the independence and choice that are crucial to aging well, according to the findings of our Revera Report on Ageism: Independence and Choice As We Age. The research found that more than four in ten Canadians (42%) feel ageism is the most tolerated form of social prejudice; more than double that of racism (20%) and sexism (17%). 
“Ageism is the next great social issue that demands our attention, and together, individuals, organizations and governments need to take action,” said Thomas Wellner, President and CEO of Revera.

Revera, a leading owner, operator and investor in the senior living sector in Canada, is challenging ageism through Age is More, a multi-faceted program designed to challenge stereotypes, promote an age inclusive society, and celebrate the ageless spirit of older people. 

Through Age Is More (AgeisMore.com), we publish regular Revera Reports on Ageism to study and address the underlying causes of ageism. 

Hazel McCallion, Revera’s Chief Elder Officer, reviews the Revera Report on Innovation & the Aging Experience with Trish Barbato, Revera’s SVP Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, and Revera’s Resident Innovation Ambassadors, Bill Jarvis (left) and Dennis Champ (right).

We have engaged Hazel McCallion, the longtime Mayor of Mississauga, as our Chief Elder Officer to provide advice on how best to help our residents live life to the fullest. Here Hazel explains what ageism is - and why it’s getting old.  [https://youtu.be/rt30d-Myo2E

This past June, we released the Revera Report on Innovation and the Aging Experience, which demonstrates that – contrary to stereotype - older adults are not afraid of innovations and are actively looking for products and services that will allow them to live more independently and have more choice as they age. The study shows that 87 per cent of Canadian seniors agree that innovation would help make them more comfortable with aging. 

Revera also committed $20 million to its Innovators In Aging fund to support entrepreneurs who develop innovative new products and services that help older adults maintain their independence. See reveraliving.com/innovation for more information. 

Age is More also tries to bridge the age gap by bringing older adults and young people together. The Revera and Reel Youth Age is More Film Project is an intergenerational partnership with Reel Youth which has produced more than 160 films. Please check out the films Edmonton area youth produced after spending a week getting to know older adults from The Churchill retirement residence: http://www.ageismore.com/film-project/celebrating-edmonton-seniors.
 
Ageism is getting old – please help do something about it!   
Are you passionate about issues that affect Edmonton’s aging population? Are you an innovative thinker? Do you enjoy collaborating with other like-minded individuals to test new ideas? If this sounds like you, apply to become a part of Age Friendly Edmonton 2.0. We’re looking for dynamic individuals (of any age!) who can mobilize their networks to achieve the vision of AFE 2.0. 

Interested in learning more? Role descriptions and application instructions can be found at this link: http://bit.ly/afepositiondescriptions

If you want to help build a city that values, respects and actively supports the safety, diversity and wellbeing of seniors please consider applying! AFE 2.0 will focus on four key priority areas: Reducing Ageism, Supporting Aging in Place, Promoting Intergenerational Connections, and Responding to Diversity.

A truly age friendly city treats its citizens the way they want to be treated: as builders, creators, and contributors. Join us and help shape the work of Age Friendly Edmonton!  Application forms are available at http://bit.ly/afeapplicationform

 
Any questions? Get in touch at aferecruitment@edmonton.ca.
August 2018 Upcoming Events:

 



Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is looking for you!

Monday, Aug 6, 8:45AM – Saturday, Aug 11, 2018, 5PM

Location: ReStore North 8210 Yellowhead Tr., ReStore South 4004 99 St., ReStore West 16811 106 Ave., ReStore East 6909 76 Ave.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore is sustained by volunteers who donate their time and energy to a cause they believe in!

Cost: $0
Contact Name: Ryan Widen
Contact Phone: 7804513416
Contact Email: rwiden@hfh.org
Link: https://www.hfh.org/volunteer/restore/

 

ReStore is looking for volunteers who:
• Want to give back to their community
• Love working with people
• Are interested in working in a retail-warehouse type environment


ReStore offers flexible, half and full day volunteer shifts. To register, contact Ryan at (780) 451-3416 or register online.

 

Enjoy a variety of handpicked movies every Thursday night at 7:30pm at Fort Edmonton Park’s Capitol Theatre. Every month features a new genre of classic films – recent, antique, or somewhere in-between – all selected by the Park’s Artistic Director, Dana Anderson. Cinema Series is sure to give you a classic film experience to remember.

Cinema Series tickets are $10.00 online or $11.42 at the door. Price does not include taxes and tickets are subject to availability.
 

August - Musical Movies

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) PG

A down-on-his-luck inventor turns a broken-down Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical fantasy adventure to save their grandfather in a far-off land.

Year: 1968

Rated: PG

Running Time: 2 hrs 24 mins

Date: Thursday August 16, 2018

Hello Dolly (1961) PG

In 1890s New York City, the bold and enchanting widow Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) is a socialite-turned-matchmaker. Her latest clients seeking assistance are the cantankerous “half-a-millionaire” Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) and a young artist named Ambrose (Tommy Tune), who is in love with Horace’s niece, Ermengarde (Joyce Ames). Dolly’s scheming soon involves Horace’s employees as well as a New York hatmaker, as she tries to cover up her own secret romantic designs.

Year: 1969

Rated: PG

Running Time: 2 hrs 26 mins

Date: Thursday August 23, 2018

West Side Story (1961) PG

Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.
Year: 1969
Rated: PG
Running Time: 2 hrs 33 mins
Date: Thursday August 30, 2018

Additional Resources
If you have not already signed up for this newsletter, use the link below to do so:
Newsletter Sign Up
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Copyright © 2017 City of Edmonton, Age Friendly, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
18th Floor, Edmonton Tower
10111-104 Avenue NW Edmonton
T5J 0J4


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
City of Edmonton · 18th Floor, 10111 – 104 Avenue NW · Edmonton, Ab T5J 0J4 · Canada

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp