With support from the United Way of Halton and Hamilton, Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program and our own fundraising activities, HCoA is proud to announce our Educational Workshops to Support Positive Aging and Well-being.
All workshops are interactive, planned and facilitated by older adults who are volunteers of the Hamilton Council on Aging (HCoA). They run approximately 60-90 minutes in length. They are offered in-person or virtually. The workshop series advance the Canadian National Priorities of:
- Supporting health aging
- Celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion
- Helping seniors to age in place
- Preventing senior abuse
Further, they address several of the goals and recommendations released in Hamilton’s Plan for an Age-Friendly Community (2021-2026). (Source: Government of Canada: Action for Seniors Report, 2014).
Let’s Get Moving Workshops
Active transportation is important for positive aging, enabling older adults to engage in the activities of daily living, participate in social activities, access health and community services and to age-in-place. Access to transportation has been identified as an important determinant of health.
Let’s Take the Bus Workshop has been developed in partnership with the City of Hamilton Transit Division and the Seniors Advisory Committee. The purpose of the workshop is to help older adults navigate the local public transit system and includes, among other topics, an introduction to Hamilton Street Railway (HSR), information on boarding and exiting the bus, and wayfinding.
Let’s Take a Walk Workshop will focus on the benefits of walking, tips for safe walking and pedestrian safety. The workshop includes a guided walk on an outdoor recreational trail and/or on a city route. Each participant will receive a copy of the “Let’s Take a Walk: An Age-Friendly Guide to 18 of Hamilton’s Outdoor Recreational Trails.”
Let’s Ride a Bike Workshop includes a presentation about the benefits of cycling health and safety measures, rules of the road and taking advantage of bike‐share rental programs.
Let’s Take a Car Workshop provides information about how age affects driving, assessing your own driving abilities, smart features on cars, licensing, alternatives to driving and information about driving resources.
To register for a scheduled workshop visit coahamilton.ca/events or call 905-777-3837 x. 12238
The Positive Aging Workshop Series
Hamilton Council on Aging partnered with GERAS experts from Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster University to develop this evidence-informed series that provides aging adults, seniors, families, and caregivers with quality information on aging and age-related topics that is functional, immediately practical, and easy to understand. This series has built goal-setting into each session to support participants in making the changes necessary to enhance positive aging. Topics Include:
- As Time Goes By: What to Expect as We Age: Normal Changes of Aging, how we adapt and resources to support healthy aging
- The Secret Ingredients to Healthy Aging: Nutrition Tips and Advice including strategies to optimize your eating behaviour and recipes to optimize nutrition
- The 5-Star Approach to Staying Mentally Fit: evidence-based strategies to support brain health
- Faster, Further, Stronger: Why and How to Stay Active Throughout the Years with a focus on local resources to support and enhance your activity level
- Home Sweet Home: Strategies to Keep Your Independence; optimize your home to support aging in place with an emphasis on falls risk reduction and resources to support home adaptation
- Come Join In! The Benefits of Being Socially Active; review the evidence that supports socialization and how to stay connected in your community
Navigating the Healthcare System as an Older Adult Workshop Series
This is a three-session course where participants explore and practice strategies to enhance their interactions with healthcare providers and community services across multiple settings. Topics Include:
- Navigating the Healthcare System as an Older Adult: Explore and practice strategies to optimize our relationships and interactions with healthcare providers, particularly in primary care. We also provide some time to learn navigation tips from one another.
- Navigating the Hospital System as an Older Adult: Explore tips and strategies to optimize your hospital stay, either as a patient or family caregiver.
- Navigating Community Supports as an Older Adult. Explore the use of community services. Strong focus on available resources to support aging in place.