Seniors Organizations

Seniors are members of many local agencies/organizations and a number of large senior’s agencies/organizations have local chapters across the province. Partnering with a variety of these groups will allow for a wide range of seniors’ perspectives and access to the diverse strengths and capacities of seniors from different ages and lived experience. For more information on seniors agencies/organizations that may be active in your community, please refer to the Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat website.

When reaching out to seniors, planning partners are encouraged to consider the following approaches to ensure diversity and equity:

• identify diverse groups of seniors (e.g., LGBTQ, Indigenous seniors and elders, older adults with disabilities, immigrant or newcomer seniors);
• identify individuals/groups that can relate to seniors and their customs, cultures, traditions, language and practices; and
• when forming advisory groups with seniors’ representation, consider compensation options such as small honorariums or offering food and covering transportation costs where possible (this will support seniors that might not traditionally be able to get involved).

Service Providers

When forming an advisory group or other engagement approaches that include service provider perspectives, consider reaching out to agencies/organizations that are familiar with the needs of older adults, including:

• Community Care Access Centres;
• Long Term Care Homes, Retirement Homes, or seniors housing providers;
• police services, including those with Seniors Liaison Officers and Crimes against Seniors Units;  Elderly Person Centres;
• community support service agencies (funded by Local Health Integration Networks to provide adult day programs, meal delivery, personal care, homemaking, transportation, congregate dining, etc.);
• Municipal Recreation and Health and Social Service Departments; and
• Social Planning Councils and Councils on Aging.

Local Linkages

• Existing local engagement and planning mechanisms may be leveraged to help connect seniors and service providers throughout the community safety and well-being planning process. By making these linkages, synergies and efficiencies may be achieved. Some of these mechanisms may include:
• Seniors/Older Adult Advisory Committees
• Established by local governments to seek citizen and stakeholder input into the planning and delivery of municipal services that impact older adults.