Healthy Aging in Brantford
Healthy Aging in Brantford
While I have lived in Brantford for 17 years and thought I knew a great deal about this community, I am still discovering some things that surprise me. Most recently, I discovered that since 2008, Brantford has been a leader in developing strategies to accommodate what is arguably the fastest growing demographic in our region; seniors 65 and over. If Brantford were to follow the current trend for Ontario, it is predicted that by 2041, the number of adults 65 years or older, will almost double.
If you haven’t stopped to consider the impacts of this statistic, you should.
Age friendly planning in Brantford really hit its stride in 2008 when a “Master Aging Plan” based on community consultation was launched. This plan contained 21 objectives and 99 strategies which was then passed along to The City’s Grand River Council on Aging to implement. Then, in 2015, an “Age-Friendly Community Summit Series’ was held by community leaders and led directly to The World Health Organization recognition of the City of Brantford as a community that is dedicated to Age Friendly planning. In 2017 Brantford became a part of the WHO Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities. In 2018, the document entitled “Healthy Aging, City of Brantford Age Friendly Strategy” was created. This strategy, primarily based on the
World Health Organization’s eight dimensions of an Age-Friendly Community is a progressive and active model that can potentially place our community in an excellent position to accommodate seniors as they age.
I am hard pressed to find an exception to the reality that every citizen of Brantford is quickly moving down the path to senior citizenship. The City’s willingness to look at the community through the lens of individuals approaching 65 and then to implement strategies to support them is something we should all be proud of. With so many complicated social issues requiring attention at the policy level, this investment in our future as a community is a progressive and refreshing stance. I have heard my share of negative statistics about our city and in truth, these statistics have contributed to its stigmatization. It is my belief that the initiatives around healthy aging have the potential to make Brantford a true leader in the Region and beyond.
When we look at the eight dimensions of healthy aging that they City focused on in the Age Friendly strategy created in 2018, we see that there is fertile ground here for a renewed city to grow. The categories in which nest the opportunities to make program, infrastructure and even policy changes include: housing, transportation, outdoor buildings and spaces, community services, communication and information, civic participation, social inclusion and social participation. From these categories, a series of objectives emerged, each with the intention to improve the lives of seniors in Brantford as they age. Some of strategies include:
Improving walkability of public spaces,
Improving access to public transit
Increasing affordable housing options
Reducing barriers to recreation and social programs and expanding programming
Engaging older adults in community planning
Improving access to municipal information
While these strategies are much needed, and well intentioned, it can be argued that in the majority of cases, solutions for challenges in the eight categories are more reactive than proactive. Realistically speaking, this makes sense. It is human nature to find solutions to challenges that already exist. The old adage “necessity is the mother of invention” rings true for all of us and shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is how Nations are built and how cultures manifest and evolve. However with the challenge of quickly changing demographics looming in the not so distant future, I wonder if the time is right for a more radical shift in the way we plan our age friendly future.
Here at SKIP, our values centre around the necessity and benefits of strengthening intergenerational relationships both at the level of the community and also at the level of the family unit. We know that when the family is strengthened, the strength of the community will increase. When we look at the categories outlined in the age friendly plan for the city we can see many opportunities for intergenerational collaboration. The housing category being the most glaring example. Many residents are already aware that the affordable housing situation in Brantford is dire. For a single older adult, under the age of 65, the wait list for social housing is upwards of 10 years. As Brantford moves to address this issue for vulnerable populations such as older adults and individuals experiencing homelessness, I have to wonder if reactive strategies can truly address the challenges as our population of every demographic continues to grow. Is it enough to build more spaces? Is it enough to fund workshops dedicated to the education and navigation of our affordable housing systems? Surely these solutions are necessary but these solutions should go hand-in hand with solutions that address challenges at the root. With housing for example, I have to wonder how the community would benefit if we invested in people. This would look something like allocating resources to affordable counselling options for families, mental health resources and strategy planning for families caregiving for older loved ones within their homes, tax incentives for trades in home maintenance to offer discounts and donations to seniors who own their homes or skill based workshops that for seniors and and at risk youth. The possibilities are endless.
I think we often fail as a society to invest in the solutions that may not reap immediate rewards. We have become spoiled by a world in which we can access everything we need quickly and with the touch of a button. We have forgotten how to invest. I applaud the city’s efforts to put forward a plan that seeks to invest in our future however it is clear there is opportunity to address root problems here. Personally, I am excited by the opportunities for Brantford to become a nation wide leader in the area of healthy aging. As it comes up for review this year, I hope more of us will read the strategies the city has put forth and contact local leaders and stakeholders with input. Healthy aging is a topic worth thinking about and by participating in the planning that can make brantford an age-friendly community truly benefits us all.