Age-Friendly Project 2019
Project Overview
The City of Richmond has received a $25,000 grant from the Union of BC Municipalities to advance the work towards making Richmond an age-friendly community. An age-friendly community focuses on the social and physical environments to promote healthy aging by adapting services and structures to ensure accessibility and inclusion for all residents.
2015-2020 Age-Friendly Assessment and Action Plan
Age-Friendly Stakeholder Committee
The project is guided by an Age-Friendly Stakeholder Committee comprised of 20 non-profit organizations, business providers and City and Community Association/Society staff who are committed to making Richmond more age-friendly. Committee members share their expertise and experience working with seniors and the built environment.
Age-Friendly Stakeholder Committee members include:
- City of Richmond Staff – Community Social Development, Recreation and Transportation departments
- Gilmore Gardens Retirement Residence (Verve)
- Minoru Seniors Society
- Richmond Addiction Services Society
- Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives
- Richmond Centre for Disability
- Richmond Intercultural Advisory Committee
- Richmond Public Library
- Richmond Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Richmond Seniors Advisory Committee
- Translink
- Vancouver Coastal Health
Neighbourhood Group Meetings
As part of the project, Seafair residents aged 55 years and over have been invited to attend five Neighbourhood Group Meetings from June to September 2019. Participants learn more about City and community resources and play an active role in identifying barriers in the Seafair area of Richmond.
Seafair Age-Friendly Neighbourhood Group Poster
Seafair Neighbourhood Area
Meeting Topics and Speakers
- Project Overview: The City of Richmond presented project background and facilitated discussion regarding the Seafair area.
- Transportation: Coast Mountain Bus Company presented on how to safely navigate public transit and the City of Richmond discussed transportation-related issues.
- Seniors Housing: Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives presented on community resources for navigating seniors housing options and Gilmore Gardens Retirement Residence staff provided a facility tour.
- Seniors Services: The City of Richmond presented on City and community seniors services and provided a tour of the Minoru Centre for Active Living. A bus tour was also organized to examine age-friendly elements in Seafair’s built environment.
- Health Services: Vancouver Coastal Health will present on health services available to seniors in Richmond.
Roundtable Evaluation Forum
- The Roundtable Evaluation Forum will occur in October 2019 to share project findings and recommendations amongst Stakeholder Committee members, Neighbourhood Group participants and City and Community Association/Society staff. The collated information will be incorporated into the final report to advance Richmond as a more age-friendly community.
Final Report
- The report, Creating a Plan to Engage Seniors in the Creation of Age-Friendly Neighbourhoods, will highlight project activities and findings. This plan can be used in the future to engage seniors in age-friendly planning activities in other Richmond neighbourhoods.
Engaging Senior in Age-Friendly Planning 2020 Final Report
Project Goals
- Empower participants to become more active in age-friendly planning within the City of Richmond and their own neighbourhoods.
- Identify the needs of vulnerable and at-risk seniors in Richmond.
- Identify barriers in the built environment which challenge seniors to successfully age in place.
- Connect seniors with their peers living in their neighbourhoods.
- Increase participants’ knowledge of age-friendly communities and programs and services available to successfully age in place.
- Create ambassadors to generate change through increased knowledge and skills identifying and reporting barriers in the built environment.
For more information, contact:
Debbie Hertha
Seniors Coordinator, Community Social Development
Phone: 604-276-4175
Email: Debbie.Hertha@richmond.ca