3 Year Strategic Plan for the Seniors'
Centres
Working Together: Successful Strategies for Seniors Community
The Kiwanis Seniors' Community Centre and Hamilton Road Seniors'
Centre and Community Centre help older adults in London live healthy, active and
socially oriented lives.
The City continually strives to identify opportunities for improvement at our
centres, aiming to enhance the experience for the members as well as the broader
community.
The three year strategic plan lays out a clear path for the centres.
The plan builds on the concepts of the Dimensions of
Wellness and works to continue to engage the members of the
centres. See below for the goals and objectives of our
3 year plan,
including the next steps.
MISSION: To enrich the lives of older adults, over the age
of 55, by providing inclusive activities, programs, services and space where
everyone feels a sense of belonging, vitality and has fun.
Dimensions of Wellness
One of the underlying features of our centres is that our programs,
activities and services are built on a model of wellness which looks at people
holistically. This model of wellness (developed by the National Wellness
Institute and endorsed by the International Council of Active Aging) has a
number of dimensions which are interconnected and together contribute to healthy
living.
PHYSICAL
Describes...choosing lifestyle habits that maintain or improve health and
functional ability
Examples...exercise, nutrition, sports, sleep, self-care, alcohol/drugs and
tobacco cessation, medical self-care
SPIRITUAL
Describes...living with a meaning/purpose in life; exploring beliefs and values
that create personal peace and understanding
Examples...group and/or individual faith-based activities, personal
meditation/reflection, mindful exercise (yoga, tai chi), experiencing nature
INTELLECTUAL
Describes...engaging in creative pursuits and intellectually stimulating
activities; problem solving and reasoning
Examples...classes with a cognitive component, cultural activities, arts and
crafts, journaling, games/puzzles, reading
SOCIAL
Describes...interacting with others for mutual benefit, awareness of the larger
community and participation within it
Examples...clubs, volunteering, dancing, visiting friends and family, group and
intergenerational activities, travel
EMOTIONAL
Describes...managing and directing feelings; coping with challenges and
behaving in trustworthy and respectful ways
Examples...peer counseling, stress management, humour/laughter, personal
histories
OCCUPATIONAL
Describes...maintaining or improving skills, abilities and attitudes that
help oneself or others stay productive and satisfied with the work they produce
Examples...paid work, volunteer work, skills classes, mentoring, tutoring,
hobbies, caregiving
ENVIRONMENTAL
Describes...ways to use the environment for wellness, as well as eco-friendly
products, services, processes and designs, which contribute to a healthier
world.
Examples...Meditation gardens, walking paths, city and community design.
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Strategic Goals and Objectives - 3 year plan
1. Provide a collaborative, holistic approach to wellness in recreation
and leisure programs and services to members, employing a hub and satellite
model
* Use a planning framework on an annual basis to determine which programs,
services, activities and space to provide to members
* Engage members in the planning of programs, services, activities and space
* Engage with cultural group leaders to identify programming interests, method
of delivery and location of programs
* Develop an evaluation plan for the programs, services, activities and space
* Establish regular opportunities each quarter to allow members to voice their
opinions about the centre and for staff to provide information/obtain feedback
about the centre
* Employ a membership model for daily membership activities, services and space
2. Provide supplementary programs and services at the neighbourhood level to
members
* Create opportunities for supplementary programs and services for members with
other community and City facilities (for example: weight training, swimming,
sport/physical activities)
3. Connect community partners so that London is a welcoming, inclusive and
age friendly community
* Provide information to City community facilities, neighbourhood resource
centres and Seniors Neighbourhood Advisory Committees on how to be welcoming,
inclusive and friendly to older adults and programming across the dimensions of
wellness in neighbourhoods
4. Increase awareness of opportunities and range of services available for
older adults including those of diverse ethnicity and abilities at our centres
* Develop a multi-pronged advertising strategy for the centres, including
exploring the use of incentives and promotions to encourage current members to
attract new members to the centres
* Develop a membership recruitment strategy to ensure that people of all
cultures, ethnicity and abilities are included and welcomed as members
5. Continue to promote the use of our community centres for public access
* Continue to maximize the use of physical space by supporting community
interests
* Generate revenue to support operational needs
6. Create a diversified funding base for the centres
* Seek support through the Local Health Integrated Network, Ministry of Health
and Long Term Care and other funders to determine what, if any, funding
opportunities may be available through them
* Introduce the concept of endowment funds and then make information about this
option available to members and the community
7. Ensure our centres are inclusive, friendly, welcoming and accessible
* Identify parking alternatives, including strategies for increased use of
public transit and car pooling for Hamilton Road Seniors? Centre and Community
Centre and Kiwanis Seniors? Community Centre.
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What's Next
Over the next few years, the centres will move to a "hub-and-satellite" model
of service delivery.
The current facilities will be the "hubs" and continue to provide a number of
services for older adults including daily activities, special events, day trips,
Spectrum programs, food services and access to information.
Partnerships will be developed with existing organizations to form "satellites".
Satellite arrangements will provide access to services and equipment currently
not available at the hubs as well as offer daily activities and Spectrum
programs at neighbourhood locations throughout the city.
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