SEARCH RESULTS

The Hub is building a more responsive and resilient community for seniors living on the Westside of Vancouver, BC Canada through the power of collective action. CARE PARTNERS YOU can help reveal challenges that need to be addressed create activities that fit with your needs as well as those you care for offer ideas for innovative initiatives participate in community conversations To partners, relatives, friends or professionals regularly involved in providing care for a person living with dementia: Your voice is needed in planning and implementing activities that are feasible and engaging. Hub Partners would like to hear from you! Visit the Current Hub Partner Projects page to see which project is most attractive and contact the Partner sponsoring it

CURRENT PROJECTS Together with Hub Partner Organizations, Council identifies where there are gaps in services and resources for seniors. Click on a button below to read more about current priorities for Hub collaborative actions. HUB WESTSIDE SENIORS ACCIÓN COLECTIVA POR Y PARA MAYORES El Westside Seniors Hub es una iniciativa que reúne a personas mayores locales y organizaciones que prestan servicios a personas mayores para garantizar que las comunidades de Westside sean lugares donde las personas mayores puedan prosperar. Sirve para proporcionar un "centro" informativo que mejora el conocimiento de los programas y servicios locales. Proporciona liderazgo en la identificación de brechas en la prestación de servicios y genera apoyo comunitario para los problemas de las personas mayores. Read more FOOD SECURITY Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Food is one of the first expenses to be reduced when one is struggling financially, and this disproportionally impacts vulnerable and marginalized individuals How is the Westside Seniors Hub involved with the Westside Food Collaborative? Read more

Would you like to help the Hub achieve its goals of creating a more inclusive community and increasing social citizenship of people living with dementia? Then please consider helping plan, implement and sustain meaningful activities. OPPORTUNITIES DEMENTIA VENTURES Would you like to help the Hub achieve its goals of creating a more inclusive community and increasing social citizenship of people living with dementia? Then please consider helping plan, implement and sustain meaningful activities. Here are some opportunities for community members to become involved in Dementia Ventures. Please contact the Partner Organization directly or send a message to the Hub for details. Postings will remain here until a Partner notifies the webmaster that a position is no longer available. KITSILANO NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE Kits House has launched a dementia awareness initiative. There are opportunities to join focus groups that will guide program development. There is a dementia buddies program with training to communicate and help people experiencing dementia live well in the community. Other awareness activities and conversations are planned to make our community more dementia friendly Click here to find out more. WESTSIDE SENIORS HUB COUNCIL The Hub Council is recruiting volunteers to join us and ensure that Westside neighbourhoods are places where seniors can thrive. We work collaboratively with Hub Partners on projects such as Dementia Ventures . For more information, please click here . SOUTH GRANVILLE SENIOR CENTRE Enabling Connections...A Tablet Lending Library South Granville Seniors Centre & Many Partners “The four elements of the Enabling Connections program are: a tablet lending library, digital literacy mentoring, a virtual senior’s centre, and knowledge sharing with other organizations. The Enabling Connections project is focused on creating connections between individuals and creating a sense of community and mutual support, peer to peer.” Project launched May 6, 2021. Information here FAQ here The Seniors Centre offers a monthly Happy Memories Café that is a safe place to share your experiences, participate in discussions and build lasting friendships. Click here for information. FIREWEED CLUB Dunbar Residents Association & Kitsilano Neighbourhood House The Fireweed Club is a collaborative project bringing a variety of free outdoor activities to seniors on the westside. These activities are open to any seniors who want to stay active, socialize and build relationships. People living with memory loss or other invisible challenges are welcome to come by themselves or to bring their friends and care partners. The Club seeks participants, program leaders and volunteers all year. More information here .

SOUNDBYTES SERIES Hub Community Action That Builds Capacity The Dementia Ventures project empowers Hub Partners to build out inclusive community programming for all and adapt to include people living with dementia. They and their care partners want to remain socially engaged in meaningful activities. A collaboration with UBC’s Dr. Alison Phinney and her Building Capacity team offers financial, strategic and logistical resources so programs can welcome and support those with dementia and their care partners. We celebrated midway in this initiative with a series of vibrant online community dialogues. The theme was: “What it means to be an accepting and inclusive community.” SoundBytes wants to share wisdom from those dialogues. Here are our first nuggets. There will be many more! PAVING THE WAY FOR OTHERS WITH DEMENTIA BC-based Lynn Jackson is a retired nurse and highly active advocate for people living with dementia. She's a member of several action groups and continues to blaze a trail for others to live well and feel empowered living with dementia. Watch Full Event HERE A PERSON-CENTERED APPROACH TO DEMENTIA In a recent Dementia Dialogue podcast interview, BC artist and advocate Granville Johnson reminds us how crucial it is that people with dementia be involved in planning and decision making for initiatives that affect their lives. "Inclusion creates understanding, facilitates empathy, and shares love." For more on the importance of including and respecting people with dementia, please visit buildingcapacityproject.com and flippingstigma.com Watch Full Event HERE STRENGTH IN NUMBERS This excerpt from a new episode of Dementia Dialogue features UBC's Dr. Alison Phinney on overcoming barriers to community engagement for people living with dementia. Dr. Phinney discusses what she's learned through her extensive research, and how important it is to have a team. Joining her in discussion on the episode is Community Research Coordinator Dr. Andrea Monteiro and BC-based Lynn Jackson, a dementia advocate and retired nurse living with dementia who explains what's been most effective for her. Watch Full Event HERE THE BEAUTY OF INCLUSION Veteran dementia advocate and Thunder Bay resident Bill Heibein expresses his deep appreciation for the inclusive and warm nature of his local Dementia Cafe and its refreshing lack of labels. "No one asks who's who; they just welcome you in the door." Sounds pretty lovely to us! Watch Full Event HERE THE POWER IN THE WORDS WE USE When John's doctor made a joke out of his dementia, he was deeply hurt. It's these kinds of microaggressions that create the biggest barriers for people with dementia to live well. Words like these that silence people who really need to speak and share. Help us empower people with lived experience to know they're entitled to live their best life too. Watch Full Event HERE PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING BC-based artist and advocate Granville Johnson spoke out about fear and the power of our perspective on Dementia Dialogue's most recent podcast episode, addressing the ways we can choose to gain some sense of control and joy back into our lives even in the face of new challenges. Watch Full Event HERE WHAT HOLDS US BACK In the most recent podcast episode of Dementia Dialogue, Dr. Alison Phinney discusses the stigma attached to dementia diagnoses and how that impacts community support efforts. She speaks with host Lisa Loiselle and fellow podcast guest Granville Johnson, who lives with dementia himself, about the important balance to be struck between training and education on one hand, and engaging with people with lived experience on the other. Watch Full Event HERE TURNING TOWARDS THE PERSON WITH DEMENTIA Karen Rolston’s mother Louise started getting inklings something was a little “off” back in 2011. At the time, the Rolstons were already in the process of creating a laneway house on their property for her, so they could live close together. The timing worked out well. Louise lived there for seven years beside her daughter Karen, Karen’s husband, and their daughter. Those years were, “a beautiful opportunity for us to just wrap mom with more support and care while she was able to live in her own space,”Karen said. When Karen thinks about the journey she has been on with her mom, and the reactions from people when it comes to dementia, the word that comes to mind is fear. “People find out someone has dementia, and they think, ‘Am I going to receive this diagnosis too?’ ‘Is someone I love going to get dementia?’” Rolston said. Fear seeps in and too often, people pull away. “People often don’t know what to say or do, so they turn away from those with dementia instead of turning toward them with love,”Rolston said. Rolston is extremely grateful for community supports. Her mom really enjoyed the Alzheimer Society’s Minds in Motion program, the Alzheimer’s Café and the Helena choir she joined. “These community groups are where we felt really held,” she said. “It’s such a painful journey and there is still so much we can do.” In this Soundbyte, Rolston offers her thoughts on how to really tune into a person’s needs and meet them where they are, rather than seeing their responses as resistance or defiance. Loving and showing up for someone with dementia is about cherishing the now, embracing their world, and accepting what is. Watch Full Event HERE ANDRÉ PICARD ON THE MEDIA'S ROLE IN STAMPING OUT STIGMA Esteemed Globe and Mail Columnist André Picard wrote Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada’s Elders in the Wake of a Pandemic in 2021, a book that discusses what needs to change to shift the culture of long-term care across our country. “Picard reveals the full extent of the crisis in eldercare and offers an urgently needed prescription to fix a broken system and ensure long-term care homes are not warehouses of isolation and neglect” Penguin Random House states on their site. Care home COVID outbreaks seemed to be exploding in every region of the country at the time, drawing attention to the deplorable working conditions they had for employees, the resulting neglect residents experienced, and the total lack of support for the institutions in general. In this storyboard, Picard says media needs to highlight not just worst-case scenarios meant to shock and awe, but stories about people living quite well for a long time with dementia. Seeing more people with dementia in our day-to-day activities—including in the news— would normalize that experience as a way of reducing stigma. Lastly, he emphasized the importance of having people with dementia sit on boards and committees on which they get a real vote in the outcomes of important decisions. Watch Full Event HERE SUZUKI ELDERS Rob Dramer and Lilllian Ireland are self-identified elders who work with the Suzuki foundation mentoring and supporting other elders and younger generations in dialogue and action on environmental issues. They're also traveling performers who offer a multi-sensory show featuring songs they've written about biodiversity, interspersed with some familiar tunes to help audiences tap into earlier memories. Music elicits powerful connections, and they invite audience members to join in the fun alongside them and their collection of beautiful local animal puppets. Watch Full Event HERE POETRY Myrna Norman is an author, artist, and dementia advocate based in Maple Ridge. In 2009, when Norman was diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Dementia and given eight years to live, she went home ready to die. But after grieving this news for a couple of weeks, Norman decided to do what she’s best at: advocating for change. She became heavily involved in initiatives that let others in her situation know they weren’t alone. Thirteen years later, Norman’s passion, generosity of spirit, and charisma have touched so many lives. Her book, “Dementia Strategies, Tips and Personal Stories,” has become an indispensable voice of validation and support. Norman has participated in multi-year research studies, art-making groups and task forces including The Dementia Sisterhood, the Dementia Action Committee, Dementia Advocacy Canada, the Dementia Friendly Task Force, and now the Building Capacity Project to name just a few. She’s also collaborating with researchers and designers at Emily Carr University’s Health Design Lab to develop a series of workbooks geared at supporting researchers to engage in collaborative work with people with lived experience. And to all these roles, she brings her signature energy, compassion, and love for showing people their strength. Watch Full Event HERE BEACON *Shining Light on Dementia A dedicated group of congregation members at Pacific Spirit United Church worked together over the course of a year to create an incredible and insightful four-part series on dementia that you can access online. They had noticed church members struggling with cognitive decline and family members worried about finding extra care, so they dove in to offer support. Their commitment to fostering a dementia friendly culture at their church has since inspired many other groups to take action too. For more details go to www.pacificspiritc.com and click on "ministries". The series is under "Beacon *shinning light on dementia." Watch Full Event HERE LET'S TALK ABOUT DEMENTIA The Flipping Stigma Toolkit The Flipping Stigma Toolkit is a project where a group of people diagnosed with dementia partnered with a research team to develop an online toolkit. This Action Group, funded by a research grant from the Canadian Institute of Health and Research, co-designed the toolkit to help people with dementia recognize and respond to stigma and discrimination -and to help others better understand ho to be supportive-. The Goa? Flip that fear on its ear. To learn more visit www.flippingstigma.com Watch Full Event HERE EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY'S HEALTH DESIGN LAB Researchers and designers at Emily Carr University’s Health Design Lab use participatory design methods to catalyze, support and amplify initiatives addressing complex health challenges like dementia. “We use design methods to help engage people with dementia in initiatives that directly impact their lives,” said Lab Director Caylee Raber. The team’s current project is called Collaborate, Gather, Share—a workbook series co-designed by people with lived experience to help drive reflection around how they can be brought into research projects and how best to support those collaborations, recognizing people with dementia as experts. Their recent video, “Perspectives,” paired design students with long-term care residents. They co-designed and co-wrote mini publications featuring residents’ stories. Students developed creative games and activities to help draw out residents’ stories that they then captured in zines and mini-books, some even embroidered on quilts. Lastly, the team worked with Vancouver Coastal Health for four years on a project focused on shifting the culture of care in long-term facilities. All the Lab’s work focuses on how researchers and designers can use their skills and expertise to build upon work already being done—facilitating creative expression and self advocacy for people with dementia and getting those messages out to the world. Watch Full Event HERE REPRESENTATION MATTERS Author, artist, and dementia advocate Myrna Norman runs a peer support group for others with dementia in her lower mainland community called the Purple Angels Memory Café. The group meets four times a month, and sometimes outdoors in summer when the weather is beautiful. Every second week, it’s the Army and Navy Club for a beer and live music. Members take turns bringing refreshments and treats and have fundraised up to $300 to put towards games and activities they can play together. The group is a wonderful way to connect with others, share similar experiences, and gain support and a powerful sense of belonging. The best part? Membership is free. “The gift [members] give to me is so much more than could ever be paid,” said Norman. One new member who joined a couple of weeks ago turned to Myrna as he was leaving the Army and Navy Club and said, “Myrna, I feel different now. The music touched something inside of me.” “I still get the shivers thinking about it,” Norman said of the comment. It’s revelations like this one that drew her to this work. For more information or to check out the Purple Angels sometime, email Myrna Norman at: the.normans@shaw.ca Watch Full Event HERE THE POWER OF SUPPORT FROM OUR FAITH & CULTURE GROUPS Reverend Deborah Laing has been a minister in the United Church of Canada for 37 years, the last four at Pacific Spirit United Church in Kerrisdale. She's seen how good communities gather around people in both their joys and troubles, contributing immensely to their quality of life. She also served as chaplain at a rural hospital and learned so much from nurses and program staff there about support, respect and care for people with dementia. Watch Full Event HERE RESPONDING TO DEMENTIA THROUGH A CROSS-CULTURAL LENS One Vancouver man who has been advocating for the treatment and care of people with dementia ever since his dementia diagnosis over a decade ago, discusses how dementia is viewed through various cultural lenses. He explains how those lenses affect families' and individual's responses to diagnosis and decisions around treatment. Watch Full Event HERE TRUSTING OUR SENSE OF SELF ABOVE ALL ELSE BC artist and dementia advocate Granville Johnson talks about the importance of trusting one's sense of self above all else when living with dementia. "The world might not know we're capable, but we can know it and live it and continue to pursue our dreams." Johnson lives in remote part of British Columbia where he's currently working on a novel. Watch Full Event HERE ON BRAVERY AND THE POWER OF SHARING OUR STORY When Lester was first diagnosed with dementia, he and his wife and care partner Cindy found that some of their friends and family reacted with disbelief. Others weren't sure how to talk to him. Sharing the Flipping Stigma toolkit with their church and social communities gave the couple a chance to contextualize dementia for those who didn't know much about it. The toolkit allayed fears, provided reassurance, and ultimately resulted in Lester AND Cindy feeling they could open up more about his diagnosis, feel less shame, and share more of their journey with the people they cared about. The toolkit helped them feel much more deeply understood. Watch Full Event HERE HOW FOCUSING ON A PURPOSE BUILDS RESILIENCE Bill Heibein continues to live on the farm he shared with his late wife Heather just outside Kakabeka Falls, Ontario. When he was diagnosed with dementia in 2000, doctors told him he'd have about five more years to live "usefully". Twenty-two years later, he has proven them wrong. In addition to caring for his horses, Bill volunteers as an advocate with the Northwest Dementia Working Group, helps run Dementia Cafes in the community, and is passionate about encouraging others with lived experience to get involved, advocate for themselves, and find purpose. Bill says it's that deep sense of purpose that's fuelled his ability to thrive with dementia for so long, and he's confident others can do the same. Watch Full Event HERE MAPPING DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY CULTURE When COVID-19 threatened to halt all their efforts in their tracks, Andrea Sara and her team found was to move online, gather virtually, solve problems, and dream big anyway. They worried for seniors who'd been hit particularly hard by increased isolation and wanted to ensure everyone in their community felt seen and supported. So, they went outside. They sought out "soothing spaces" where they could "feel safe socializing". That's how the Fireweed Club came to be. These days the DRA has its hand in so many wonderful initiatives, all which support inclusion, environmental awareness, and social engagement. Watch Full Event HERE ON THE VALUE OF INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTION Dementia Educator and community advocate Helen Murphy has dedicated her career to making the North Shore and surrounding communities more dementia-friendly. She provides training for North Shore organizations, speaks to community groups, and volunteers in developing new programs and opportunities for people with dementia to live better lives in a community that is "wise, inclusive and socially integrated". Watch Full Event HERE THE NEED FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN ADVOCACY ROLES The Building Capacity Project team in Thunder Bay, Ontario partners with the Northwest Dementia Working Group on a number of fantastic community initiatives. The team is very grateful to the NWDWG members who have volunteered to help run some of their Dementia Cafes over the years, for instance, as these cafes are a great opportunity for people in the community to witness for themselves how important representation is, how much capacity there is among people with lived experience, and to be a apart of breaking down stigma. . CARE PARTNERS EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA Lynn Jackson is an action group member with lived experience who played a key role in developing the Flipping Stigma Toolkit, a new online resource helping educate caregivers, people with lived experience, researchers, and the public at large about how to respond to stigma around dementia. Jackson talks about how important it is for care partners to empower people with dementia to stay engaged and active. Fostering autonomy while supporting someone with dementia works to maintain their sense of personhood. Treating them like they're sick makes them feel that way. Watch Full Event HERE AMPLIFYING DIVERSE VOICES: THE VALUE OF LIVED EXPERIENCE Dr. Elaine Wiersma of the Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health at Lakehead University talks about the need to amplify a wider cross section of voices when it comes to the lived experience of people with dementia. If our exposure of these experiences stays too narrow, we run the risk of silencing important wisdoms, staying uninformed as to the broad range of experiences, and keeping devastating stigmas alive. . ART AS A VEHICLE FOR CHANGE Art is a powerful vehicle for shifting perceptions and shaping culture. AND it's one way of letting your voice be heard when the words themselves might be too hard to say. Whether it's a poem, a collage, a painting, or a dance, the arts can be incredibly helpful and moving for people with dementia at all stages of their journey, and can help the public gain insight into their experience. .

THE FIREWEED CLUB The Fireweed Club is a collaborative project bringing a variety of free outdoor activities to seniors on the westside during the summer months. These activities are open to any seniors who want to stay active, socialize and build relationships. People living with memory loss or other invisible challenges are welcome to come by themselves or to bring their friends and care partners. Summary of Summer 2022 activities: Kitsilano Neighborhood House Wednesday activities is here Dunbar Residents Association activities met on Tuesdays 1:00-3:00pm July/August at Balaclava Park -- W 29th Ave at Balaclava Street to work in the Pollinator Garden. Field trips visited community gardens around the City and neighbouring municipalities )

RESOURCES The Hub encourages everyone to know about Help Lines that provide credible information to callers with questions and concerns. Help Lines DEMENTIA VENTURES RESOURCES We also provide selected resources here for Dementia Ventures , since that is the Hub's focus in 2020-2023. Understanding & living with dementia Guides for inclusive Programming Tools for Engagement Research Reports & Data

Collective action by and for seniors to build a more responsive and resilient community for seniors on the Westside of Vancouver, BC. LATEST NEWS DUNBAR SENIORS' CAFE St. Philip's Anglican Church Join us at the Dunbar Seniors' Cafe for lively conversations and friendship. Hostesses Janet Brown, Sheryl Mackay, and Judy Poliquin provide. October 15th from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Read More GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR TENANT COMPLAINS IN BC HOUSING BC Housing BC Housing has introduced new guiding principles to improve tenant experiences and complaint resolution among non-profit housing providers. These principles provide insights into tenant feedback and highlight areas for service enhancement. Read More VANCOUVER'S SENIORS HOUSING INITIATIVE City of Vancouver - Shape your City The City of Vancouver is launching the Social Housing Initiative to address affordable housing needs by modifying zoning regulations for mixed-income social, supportive, and cooperative housing without requiring rezoning. Read More FORGOTTEN RIGHTS - SENIORS NOT AFFORDED EQUAL RENT PROTECTION Office of the Seniors Advocate British Columbia “Approximately 30,000 seniors live in independent living units throughout B.C., and they should be afforded the same protections as other renters …". Read More GRANT OPPORTUNITIES Welcome to our Grant Opportunities section for senior organizations! Here, you'll find essential information about grants to support programs and services for seniors. Explore these opportunities to empower organization and make a positive impact in the community! VCH’s One-Time-Only Health Promotion and Capacity Building Project Grants (OTO) are for projects that are one-time-only in nature and intent, and that lead to greater equity in wellness by building on a community’s social, environmental, cultural, and economic foundations. Read more Funding for not-for-profit organizations, registered charities, and Indigenous partners. Funds help to plan, undertake and share research related to affordable housing in Canada. tage 1 applications must be submitted by September 27, 2024, at 2 p.m. Read more The goal of the PlanH Program is to support Indigenous and local governments, including health authorities, to advance policies, and strategies aimed at improving health equity, and well-being. Read more

Dementia Ventures is a commitment by the Westside Seniors Hub Partner Organizations to offer diverse activities for people living with dementia and their care partners designed to reduce stigma and sustain quality of life. Check out the projects. HUB PARTNERS' PROJECTS Dementia Ventures i s a commitment by the Westside Seniors Hub Partner Organizations to offer diverse activities for people living with dementia and their care partners. These activities are designed to: reduce stigma sustain quality of life The projects listed below are partially funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada via the Building Capacity for Meaningful Participation by People Living with Dementia umbrella project. Current Hub Partner project planning began in early 2020 and is evolving all the time! COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS 2019-2023 Hub Partners want to foster more inclusive communities . They engage a wide range of community members in plans and conversations to build and change programs so they are more inclusive of people living with dementia. Partners worked on projects to achieve those objectives, and for some, the projects are ongoing. Translink Awareness-Building Placards Thanks to an Implementation Fund grant from the Building Capacity for Meaningful Participation by People Living with Dementia project, the Hub’s Council placed 210 awareness-building placards inside TransLink buses in Metro Vancouver during the summer of 2022. The three different designs developed by Building Capacity project team members Samantha Pineda Sierra and Heather Neale Furneaux, quote Action Committee members with lived experience from a special initiative known as The Flipping Stigma Project . These members’ comments reflect on what it feels like to be discriminated against because of their dementia. The campaign aimed to increase awareness and encourage open and respectful conversations about living with dementia. Even if you don’t travel on public buses, you will want to take a look HERE at these engaging placards. Occasionally you will still see a placard on a Translink bus! Kitsilano Community Centre Association offers a variety of physical, social, and multicultural programming sponsored two Memory Cafés in October aimed at gathering programming needs and ideas from people experiencing dementia and care partners An insightful report summarized responses and diverse strategies for next steps in programming. steps forward West Point Grey United Church TLC (The Lunch Club) is a program for seniors as well as people with living with dementia in the west side of Vancouver. In 2022-2023, vveryone participated in a bilingual (English & Cantonese) f our-part series about dementia and in group discussions. Pacific Spirit United Church Congregation members at Pacific Spirit United Church created an insightful four-part series looking at dementia from a community perspective. It's called Beacon *shining light on Dementia" that is available online here . DISCOVERING COMMUNITY ASSETS 2019-2023 These projects focus on identifying community members and services that can help build capacity to offer meaningful opportunities and adapt existing services to be more inclusive. The Building Capacity Project - Dementia Ventures Offers engaging programs in order to help organizations make existing offerings more inclusive. Informs future policies and priorities in community and health settings for dementia inclusive communities. Westside Seniors Hub - Transportation Initiative Explored and facilitate van-sharing and public transit challenges and solutions for seniors living with dementia. Trnaslink placards featuring quotes from people living with dementia intended to raise awareness about stigma Westside Seniors Hub Developed a website to showcase Partners' projects and opportunities to get involved Invited diverse community members to become involved Collaborated with UBC Centre for Community Engaged Learning students involved as Community Action Mobilizers to conduct asset-mapping of Vancouver's westside neighbourhoods and promote community resilience planning for shocks & stressors ONGOING PROGRAMS 2020-2025 Hub Partners adapted existing programs to be more inclusive and planning new programs.They appreciated having community members participate at every stage - planning, implementing and sustaining - to build community capacity. A.S.K. Friendship Centre develops meaningful activities & designs inclusive spaces purchases art supplies to diversify programs Dunbar Residents Association identified assets & gaps in services for seniors adapted Salmonberry Days for inclusive programming organized Fireweed Club for outdoor activities in Balaclava Park, including development of a pollinator garden that invites participation throughout the gardening season. Kitsilano Neighbourhood House promotes dementia awareness with staff and required volunteer and staff trainings for anyone working with older adults developed a Dementia Buddies for one-on-one participation in meaningful activities South Granville Seniors Centre Offers two Happy Memories Cafés English -language Café brochure here Spanish -language Café brochure here

If you are a professional involved in administering programs or providing direct personal care for people experiencing cognitive decline, your role is critical in fostering their inclusion in activities. You facilitate providing diverse opportunities so everyone can remain meaningfully engaged in community life and no one gets excluded. PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH SENIORS YOU can help offer diverse & inclusive activities foster action to combat stigma adapt programs to be inclusive & supportive align policies & technologies for more opportunities increase transportation access If you are a professional involved in administering programs or providing direct personal care for people experiencing cognitive decline, your role is critical in fostering their inclusion in activities. You facilitate providing diverse opportunities so everyone can remain meaningfully engaged in community life and no one gets excluded. Hub Partners would like to hear from you! Visit the Current Hub Partner Projects page to see which project is most attractive and contact the Partner sponsoring it.

New Grant Opportunities 2024 November 15 We are not aware of any Grants that are currently available. As we learn of new Grants, we will post them here. Please return to see any new Grants. To learn more about past Grant Opportunities click Past Grant Opportunities

DV News Top NEWS Ongoing CIRCA-CA: COMPUTER INTERACTIVE REMINISCING AND CONVERSATION AID IN CANADA Canadian Dementia & Learning Resources Network “This is a web-based conversation support tool that offers…multimedia content, including photographs, short videos, and audio to stimulate conversation, social engagement, and relationship building… for people living with dementia and their care partners to connect and engage, share memories, build relationships, and reminisce… This version of the project is specifically tailored for a Canadian audience…for use as a group or one-on-one activity.” Explore the resources here Ongoing FLIPPING STIGMA ON ITS EAR TOOLKIT Canadian Health Research Institute “The discrimination caused by stigma that accompanies a diagnosis of dementia needs to be ‘flipped on its ear’! The purpose of this toolkit is to r ecognize and respond to this stigma and discrimination . It has been designed by people with dementia to help others – including other people living with dementia, the people who support them, and those who do research – to address the challenges of stigma and discrimination.” Video clips demonstrate interactions and stimulate discussions. Sign up for the newsletter. . Explore the website here Ongoing FAMILY CAREGIVING SUPPORT GROUPS Family Caregivers of BC “Support groups create a safe and confidential space. In a support group, Shared Understandings (also known as ‘ground rules’ or ‘group guidelines’) create this safe and confidential space for caregivers in group meetings.” There are several monthly virtual support groups at different times of day to accommodate busy schedules. Explore these and other caregiver resources here and sign up for FCBC’s newsletter. Information here Ongoing LEGAL RESOURCES FOR CAREGIVERS Family Caregivers of BC & Nidus BC Estate planning takes care of your assets when you die - a Will and Enduring Power of Attorney, but they do not cover health or personal care. “If you do not want government (Public Guardian and Trustee of BC) to be involved in your personal and private affairs, you will want to make arrangements in case you need help managing your affairs due to illness, injury, or disability while you are still alive . “Choose those you trust to advocate for you and carry out your wishes, if you need help speaking up for yourself” and prepare a Representation Agreement (RA) and Advance Directive (AD) . Read more about RA and AD here and here Ongoing MEMORY CAFÉ: COMMUNITY CENTRE PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT NEEDS FOR SENIORS EXPERIENCING MEMORY LOSS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS Kitsilano Community Centre Association Board The Association Board oversees programs at the community centre. “A Community Needs Assessment Group is charged to become better informed by the community… One gap that has been identified is tailored programs and supports specifically for those struggling with memory loss and supports and services for those caring for seniors with memory loss .” Two Memory Cafés were held November-December 2022 to gain community members’ perspectives and formulate some potential next steps . Read about the community responses and various strategies in their repor t Ongoing DEMENTIA IN CANADA: CROSS-COUNTRY REPORT CanAge “We wanted to find out where Canada is on the path to making this country dementia-inclusive … This report, the first of its kind in Canada, benchmarks the progress made in each province and territory to prepare for the rapidly growing rate of dementia... It also looks at our National Dementia Strategy, and the role the federal government has to play in stewarding, and funding a collaborative approach to this important work. We need to do better. We can do better.” Report here March-April 2023 DEMENTIA VENTURES AT KITS HOUSE You are invited to become involved in the Kits House Dementia Initiative: "create awareness and build community capacity to include the voices of people living with dementia and their care partners in meaningful activities. Participate in focus group Become a volunteer buddy Train as a community member Contact thaisl@kitshouse.org or call 604-736-3588 ext. 127 Poster here Ongoing FLIPPING STIGMA ON ITS EAR TOOLKIT Canadian Health Research Institute “The discrimination caused by stigma that accompanies a diagnosis of dementia needs to be ‘flipped on its ear’! The purpose of this toolkit is to r ecognize and respond to this stigma and discrimination . It has been designed by people with dementia to help others – including other people living with dementia, the people who support them, and those who do research – to address the challenges of stigma and discrimination.” Video clips demonstrate interactions and stimulate discussions. Sign up for the newsletter. . Explore the website here Ongoing THE CASE FOR ENGAGING PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN COMMUNITY SUPPORT EFFORTS United Way BC,Building Capacity Project, Westside Seniors Hub “Building Capacity Project team members discuss their grassroots approach to community support with and for people with dementia. They look at both the logistical side and the bigger picture side of how engaging and collaborating with people with lived experience fosters a culture of inclusion and decreases stigma.” Webinar recording and handout here DEMENTIA DIALOGUE PODCASTS Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health (CERAH) Lakehead University Listeners who have dementia, care partners, and others gain insight and strengthen their adaptive skills from podcasts that help the broader community understand what it means to live with dementia and how they can support people.” There are special series for spirituality, arts, women, early onset dementia and new podcasts being added all the time. French & English. Episodes 51 and 53 of Season 4 feature feature lively and insightful conversations with Action Group member, Granville Johnson and Building Capacity Project’s Co-Lead, Dr. Alison Phinney. Website here Season 4 #51 & 53 here CALL TO MIND PODCAST University of Victoria, BC Prof. Debra Sheets “In this four-part podcast series, people living with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia record audio diaries and conversations about their lives during the pandemic…Intimate and surprising stories about the challenges and rewards of caregiving, the impacts of isolation, finding joy by living in the present, and staying in love when everything else is changing...inspires you to make your community a more friendly and supportive place for people with dementia.” Podcasts here BUILDING CAPACITY PRO JECT: TAKEAWAYS UBC Nursing The Building Capacity Project Team led a discussion with Westside Seniors Hub Partners on May 25th about "engaging people living with dementia...to participate in community life as full social citizens...using the Action Group's Flipping Stigma Toolkit as an entry point...The online toolkit...gave Partners a chance to think through what stigma looks and feels like." The discussion included: Questions, Insights from Action Group members, Implementing the Toolkit, Engagement, and Resources 4-page Takeaways here STORIES FOR CAREGIVERS A series of 2-minute videos “‘Therapeutic Fibbing’ is a 4-part heart-opening dramatic comedy web series featuring an everyday Canadian family utilizing — with varying levels of success -- a form of compassionate lying to navigate communications with a loved one living with dementia. ” YouTube here Facebook here BUILDING CAPACITY PROJECT WEBSITE University of British Columbia Nursing & Lakehead University “The Building Capacity Project aims to enable people living with dementia to participate in community life as full social citizens. The project develops and evaluates effective ways to create sustainable opportunities for people living with dementia and family/friend caregivers, to remain active and connected in their communities…support community initiatives.” Webinars, newsletter, reports, etc. Website here CA REGIVERS OUT LOUD:A PODCAST SERIES Family Caregivers of BC Listen to “insightful, authentic and heart-centered conversations with caregivers that highlight the joys, trials, and self-discoveries that come along with this rewarding and taxing position.” 20-30 minute episodes accompanied by notes. New addition Feb 2022: Creativity as a Form of Self- Care Listen here PROMOTING ENGAGEMENT OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA & FAMILY/FRIEND CAREGIVERS IN ADVANCE CARE PLANNING THROUGH COMMUNITY-LED PROGRAMS BC Centre for Palliative Care Research-based “learnings from, and resources developed...to promote the engagement of people living with dementia and family/friend caregivers in Advance Care Planning (ACP)…builds on the proven success of an existing, sustainable, community-led education model… to support community organizations facilitate ACP programs for the public. Report here FAMILY DYNAMICS AND HOLIDAYS Family Caregivers of BC Half-hour videos by Wendy Johnstone, Provincial Caregiving Consultant and Gerontologist, available free via Facebook that provide emotional support for those living with dementia and those caring for them. The December 2022 theme was Family Dynamics and the Holidays, but past episodes, webinars, and much more are available to explore here. COMMUNITY COUNSELING SERVICES IN BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, Community Action Initiative “An extension of government funding to 49 local community counselling agencies provides access to low- and no-cost counselling services. Community counselling provides flexibility for counsellors to meet clients through outreach, in-person counselling or through virtual supports . In some community agencies, counsellors connect people to other services and supports.” Availability of counselling services within BC’s Health Authorities here Return to top DV News

Please fill in the form below or send us an email to info@westsideseniorshub.org First Name Email Last Name Phone Message Submit Disclaimer: Personal contact information (name, phone number, email address) will only be retained long enough to reply to a query and receive confirmation from the sender that a reply to their query or comment has been received. CONTACT US

Community Cafés ASK Friendship Society is seeking a broad and diverse perspective on future programs and services that ASK might provide for both older adults and caregivers in our new multipurpose 9,000 square foot facility in the Arbutus Redevelopment at Nanton Ave and Arbutus Street. In 2025, we are hosting a series of Community Cafés, each focused on engaging a specific community group. More information about opportunities to participate here . To take a survey click here . Please join the conversation! Your City, Your Voice, The City of Vancouver by-election for two vacant City Councillor positions takes place on Saturday, April 5th. A brochure describes who is eligible to vote, registration requirements, three ways to vote in advance or on election day, candidates on the ballot with links to their information, and in-person City voting locations - only community centres or City Hall. Make your voice heard on City issues of concern! Dying, Death, Burial, Bereavement Resource Fair Representatives of various organizations will be present to offer resources and discuss funeral and burial costs, advance planning, bereavement support services, and related resources. Learn what you can do to plan ahead. Free event, light refreshments, registration encouraged, 604-558-5709 or seniorsoutreach@jfsvancouver.ca or online via QR code on poster . Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025 10:00 am-1:00 pm Location: 1825 West 16th Ave., Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace

The Westside Seniors Hub quarterly newsletter is HubBytes. NEWSLETTER HubBytes is the Westside Seniors Hub's newsletter. It profiles key initiatives of the Hub's Partner Organizations and flags current issues, events and innovations that may be of interest to seniors. To view all copies of HubBytes newsletters or subscribe, please click here

RESOURCES We also provide selected resources here for Dementia Ventures , since that was the Hub's principal focus in 2019-2023. An extension of Building Capacity project funding enables some Hub Partners to deepen their projects 2023-2025. Understanding & living with dementia Guides for inclusive Programming Tools for Engagement Research Reports & Data