Mobilizing to Promote Health and Well-Being for Older Adults Series: Re-orienting Health and Social Services for Older Adults: Provincial Strategies for Community-Based Seniors Services

In September, 2022, CORE Canada will be launching a series of monthly 90-minute sessions focused on Mobilizing to Promote Health and Well-Being for Older Adults. This health promotion series will build on the recent webinars offered by The National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health (NCCDH) and Health Promotion Canada (HPC) that explored public health action on health equity for an aging population and was based on content from the book “Promoting the Health of Older Canadians – The Canadian Experience”. 
 
The new series will pick up on the webinar and book topics in an effort to mobilize action on various issues by focusing on effective models and the policies, practices, partnerships, and networks that support them. Through interviews and discussions with practitioners, researchers, and policy-makers, each session will explore a topic and the key issues and challenges related to it, and examine some strategies and programs that have been successful in addressing the problems. In addition to Q&A, participants will have the opportunity to more deeply probe and engage in the topic by accessing related resources and tools, and by joining a discussion group on CORE Canada.  
 
The first three sessions, scheduled for the last Thursday of the month at 10 - 11:30 AM PDT will look at:  
- September 29th: Re-orienting Health and Social Services for Older Adults: Provincial Strategies for Community-Based Seniors Services **note: this session will begin at 9:30AM PDT**
- October 27th: Age-friendly Communities: A Key Strategy in Promoting the Well-being of Older Adults 
- November 24th: Housing and Living Arrangement Options for Older Adults: At home. In community 

**Sessions will have French translation and closed caption available.

Register here

September 29th: Re-orienting Health and Social Services for Older Adults: Provincial Strategies for Community-Based Seniors Services

**note: this session will begin at 9:30AM PDT* 

Speakers:  

• Karen MacDonald, Executive Director, SAGE Seniors Association, Edmonton Alberta
  • Karen McDonald’s career has focused primarily on the field of gerontology, including a decade in seniors’ supportive housing and more than a decade with the Sage Seniors Association, most recently as Executive Director. Sage is a community-based seniors serving organization that provides social services, community development, and life enrichment programming.  Karen is currently also acting as Chair of Community Leadership Council of Healthy Aging Alberta, working with community-based seniors serving organizations across the province to advance sector development to best meet the needs and build on the strengths of seniors living in community.  In 2015, Karen co-founded MatchWork, an interactive employment training and assessment tool used by employment support organizations to more effectively guide and support those who face barriers to employment, including older workers and caregivers. Karen completed her MBA and BA at the University of Alberta. She recently joined the Board of the Muttart Foundation and is a past Rotarian.
• Sue Hesjedahl, Executive Director, Older Adults Centre’s Association of Ontario (OACAO) 
  • Sue Hesjedahl has been the Executive Director of the Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontario (OACAO) since 2011, having previously served on the OACAO Board of Directors and the Executive Committee since 1996 (as President from 2001-2002). Sue has a 30 year history of working in the not-for-profit sector, specifically with older adult centres. During her long tenure as the Executive Director of the Square One Older Adult Centre from 1994 – 2011, Sue developed and implemented a seniors’ charity. Sue has a B.A. in both Psychology and Gerontology from McMaster University in Hamilton. Sue’s current role with the OACAO involves community development and partner collaboration, financial and project management, government relations and advocacy initiatives for the Seniors Active Living Centres sector. Sue is an active community volunteer holding various volunteer roles in her local community.
• Helen MacDonnell, Executive Direction of Community Links, Nova Scotia
  • Helen MacDonnell is Executive Director of Community Links, a non-profit organization that for 30 years has connected individuals and senior-serving organizations, sharing information and resources so older adults can remain active, engaged and valued in their communities. Helen sits on the Seniors Advisory Council to the Government of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging Advisory Board. In 2018 she was a Fellow of NSGovLab, an initiative of the NS Department of Seniors using social innovation to find new ways to support older adults.  She is an award-winning mental health advocate and founder of Women & Wellness®, an awareness and fundraiser which has raised more than $1.5 million for the Canadian Mental Health Association. Trained as a journalist and lawyer, Helen is mom to two adult children and a puppy named Willow. Helen can be reached at director@nscommunitylinks.ca or 902-240-1822. 
• Marcy Cohen, Co-Chair of the Community-Based Seniors Leadership Council 
  • Marcy has over 35 years of experience working as health and policy researcher, educator and advocate. She has published over 35 articles focusing on seniors care, health care reform and workforce equity and has been involved in social justice issues as a professional and volunteer for most of her adult life. Now retired, Marcy is increasingly interested in promoting resiliency in older adults and supports this interest through her volunteer role with the United Way.