A Toronto for All

1
A Toronto for All The Creation of Age-Friendly
Communities
City of Toronto

2
Agenda

• City of Toronto
• A Toronto for All
• Neighbourhood Action Teams
• Community Service Partnerships
• Toronto Seniors Forum
• City Services Enriching Seniors Lives
• Toronto Public Health
• Toronto Fire Services
• Toronto Emergency Medical Services
• Toronto Police Service
• Transportation Services
• Toronto Transit Commission
• Parks, Forestry and Recreation
• Long-Term Care Homes and Services
• Toronto Community Housing Corporation
• Shelter, Support and Housing Administration

City of Toronto
3
Toronto in Context
City of Toronto
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Toronto for All

• Priorities include services that enhance seniors
  safety and quality of life in meaningful ways
• Social inclusion, poverty reduction, community
  engagement and education
• Anti-violence intervention, investing in
  Torontos priority neighbourhoods, creating
  centre of educational excellence, ensuring
  multilingual service through 311, partnering with
  community agencies regarding transitional and
  supportive housing
• Neighbourhood Action Teams and community
  partnerships
• Focus on seniors issues in directly delivered
  City services

City of Toronto
5
Toronto for All Continued

• Service Stewardship Commitment anchor the
  work of the Toronto Public Service, including the
  requirement to treat older people with respect
  and sensitivity services for seniors are
  distributed throughout the City and easily
  accessible by public transportation
• City divisions have access and equity plans
• Accessible information about services for seniors
  is available on the Citys website and in
  numerous hard-copy pamphlets and brochures
• The City offers a broad range of services for
  seniors and collaborates with other community
  organizations to address the needs of seniors
• City divisions have vibrant volunteer
  organizations
• The Citys emergency planning has a strong focus
  on ensuring the needs of seniors are met

City of Toronto
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Priority Neighbourhoods

• Neighbourhood Action
• At its core it is about building new service
  relationships that inspires systemic change to
  that leads to a safe, healthy, equitable city
• Strategic, opportunistic, comprehensive,
  intentional investment
• Community strategy that benefits communities,
  including seniors

• City Neighbourhood Action Teams
• GOAL Sustainable change
• HOW Transcending institutional
• silos to provide integrated
• service delivery
• RESULT Community
• development based on service
• partnerships

• Neighbourhood Action Partnerships
• GOAL Sustainable community
• change
• HOW Resident-driven multi-
• sectoral neighbourhood-based
• decision-making
• RESULT Neighbourhood vitality
• enhanced community capacity to
• thrive

City of Toronto
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Community Service Partnerships

• Community Services Partnership Funding (CSP)
  funds a continuum of community-based services
  that support seniors (ranging from
  social-recreation programs to adult day programs)
• CSP total funding 3.2 million to support 88
  agencies and 159 seniors programs (32 of total
  CSP budget)
• The Community Safety Investment Program Funding
  (CSI) also supports work in the areas of elder
  abuse prevention, community education and
  awareness and increases capacity of community
  services to respond effectively to elder abuse

City of Toronto
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Community Service Partnerships Continued

• Snow Shovelling and Lawn Care Program
• Support for seniors and people with disabilities
  to maintain independence and remain safely in
  their homes
• Ensures ongoing access to general services such
  as mail delivery, meals-on-wheels, home care
  services, emergency services
• Lawn care service ensures lawns are maintained to
  a basic standard
• Program is provided through a brokerage model
  community organizations recruit and screen
  workers
• Seniors and people with disabilities pay a fee
  for the services that they choose
• Reduces isolation and provides an additional
  security check function
• Provides casual first-time jobs for students and
  newcomers

Social Development, Finance and Administration
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Coming Soon.3-1-1

• 3-1-1 will improve accessibility to City services
  and will increase the City's effectiveness in
  responding to public inquiries
• The public will be able to obtain information and
  access to non-emergency City government services
  using their method of choice by telephone, on
  the City's website, by e-mail, mail, fax, in
  person and eventually at a self-serve kiosk
• The public will be able to access City
  information and services through one easily
  remembered telephone number and one e-mail
  address
• Calls to the 3-1-1 contact centre will be
  answered by staff 24 hours a day/ seven days a
  week

City of Toronto 3-1-1
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Toronto Seniors Forum

• Toronto Seniors Forum was established in October
  2004 to facilitate civic engagement, give a
  voice to seniors not often heard and ensure that
  Toronto meets its commitments in providing
  services for seniors
• Forum is comprised of 30 people, who are at least
  60 years of age and are residents of the City of
  Toronto
• Membership includes 18 seniors from the following
  communities of common interest
• 3 of African (Black) heritage
• 3 of Asian heritage
• 3 of Latin American/Hispanic heritage
• 3 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or
  two-spirited
• 3 of Aboriginal/First Nations heritage
• 3 who are people living with a disability
• The remaining 12 members are chosen equally from
  geographic regions of the City

Toronto Seniors' Forum
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Toronto Seniors Forum Priorities

• Access Issues
• Recreation facilities and fee structures
• Transportation, TTC access and fees
• Access to and understanding of City programs
• Housing and Long-Term Care
• Homelessness amongst seniors
• Long-term care homes
• Diversity practice
• Individual Health and Culturally Sensitive
  Service in the Community
• Public health services for the frail elderly
• Diversity practice
• Meeting the needs of the LGBT community
• Safety, Security and Legal Protection
• Fraud against seniors
• Oversized street signs and audible pedestrian
  crossing
• Elder abuse
• Leadership, Advocacy and Civic Engagement
• Engage and promote leadership amongst seniors

Toronto Seniors' Forum
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Healthy Living, Healthy Communities

• Vulnerable Adult Seniors Injury Prevention
  (VASIP) Program is focused on reducing the
  incidence and consequences of falls for older
  adults in the community
• VASIP developed a Falls Intervention Team (FIT)
  and initiated projects to identify and intervene
  for modifiable risk factors in the frail elderly
  population
• target community dwelling seniors with at least
  four risk factors for falling
• series of scheduled home visits by a public
  health nurse and/or a community-based
  physiotherapist
• comprehensive assessment identifies modifiable
  risk factors and assists in developing an
  intervention plan together with the client (and
  caregiver)
• client (and caregiver) are also instructed in the
  Home Support Exercise Program (HSEP)

Toronto Public Health
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Coming Soon.

• Later this year the VASIP team will partner with
  the Greater Toronto Area Public Health
  Departments/Units to launch an injury prevention
  communication campaign entitled Make a Splash
• This falls prevention campaign encourages older
  adults to keep independent and learn how to Be
  active, Use medication wisely, Do a home safety
  check, and Eat well
• The campaign will consist of bus shelter posters,
  brochures, fact sheets, newspaper advertising and
  web site information

Toronto Public Health
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Other Public Health Work

• Integrated Chronic Disease Prevention Framework
• Oral Health
• Cancer Prevention Information and education
  sessions on the importance of early detection of
  breast and cervical cancers, for women 50 plus
• Others Substance Abuse Prevention, Sexual Health
  Promotion, Sexual Abuse Prevention, Heart Health,
  Nutrition, Physical Activity Promotion, Tobacco
  Use Prevention, Family Health/Healthy Lifestyle

Toronto Public Health
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Fire Safety for Seniors

• Be Kitchen Smart, Keep Fire in Check poster and
  safety brochure available in 14 languages with
  reminders for older adults on how to keep safe
• Council Awareness Players an award-winning
  troupe of senior volunteers who write and present
  dramas and skits with an educational purpose the
  troupe has partnered with Toronto Fire Service
  and added a program on fire safety
• Council Awareness Players presentations are done
  upon request and followed by a QA session and
  handouts
• Older and Wiser program and brochure about
  seniors fire safety available in 14 languages
• Remembering When fire and falls prevention
  education for seniors
• Fire Safety Jeopardy

Toronto Fire Services
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B.A.S.S.I.C.

• To improve the quality of life for older adults
  by raising awareness about senior safety issues
• Membership includes 3 levels of government and
  twenty-nine organizations
• Initiatives include
• Information pamphlets distributed throughout
  Toronto
• Annual Safe Seniors Calendar (English, Italian,
  Chinese)
• Information sessions (e.g. Older and Wiser)
• Home Fire Safety Checklist for Families and
  Friends of Older Adults
• Home Fire Safety Checklist for Home Support
  Workers
• Annual symposiums
• B.A.S.S.I.C. website www.bassic.ca
• B.A.S.S.I.C. has received the Fire Marshals
  Public Fire Safety Councils Fire Safety
  Organization Award and a Certificate of
  Excellence from the Public Sector Quality Fair

Toronto Fire Services
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Community Outreach

• TFS personnel volunteered to help renovate the
  Tony Stacey Center for Veteran Care, a long-term
  care home for veterans
• Know the Top Five Stay Alive providing
  seasonal and timely fire prevention tips, Toronto
  Fire Services Public Education section updated
  this site on a monthly basis
• Current Know the Top Five Stay Alive content
  notes the top sources of fires in the home over
  the last five years are
• cooking equipment
• heating equipment
• electrical distribution equipment
• smokers articles
• candles
• Alarmed for Life campaign focuses on smoke alarms
  and carbon monoxide detection

Toronto Fire Services
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Community Medicine Program

• Non-emergency, community-based design, geared
  toward health promotion and injury prevention
• Particular emphasis on seniors issues related to
  volume of EMS calls and awareness of need for
  more integrated service
• Community Medicine Programs include
• CREMS (Community Referrals by EMS)
• Partners Promoting Window and Balcony Safety
• Hot Weather Response Plan
• Out of the Cold Program
• Vaccination Program
• In 2008, Toronto EMS, Heart and Stroke Foundation
  of Ontario and the Inter-divisional Committee on
  Priority Neighbourhoods joined forces to conduct
  free CPR training sessions

Emergency Medical Services
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CREMS Model

• Community Referrals by EMS (CREMS) is designed to
  provide assistance to persons who are at-risk
  and/or need referral for community care through
  the Community Care Access Centre (CCAC)
• CREMS received an Award for Innovation in
  Healthcare for meeting community need through an
  integrated approach
• CREMS allows paramedics to make a referral once
  consent has been received, whether or not the
  patient is transported to hospital
• Typical referrals through CREMS
• Chronic health problems
• Mobility issues
• Poor nutrition
• Failure to thrive
• Mismanaging medications
• Primary caregiver overwhelmed or becomes ill

Emergency Medical Services
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Referrals by CREMS

• Personal Support bathing, dressing, toileting,
  cleaning, problems with daily living, home safety
  assessments
• Physiotherapy exercise, stretching, mobility
  issues, orthopaedic concerns
• Nursing wound care, BP monitoring, injections,
  IV, medication administration, catheters or
  drains
• Social Work personal/familial issues,
  income/financial counselling, suspected elder
  abuse (must also contact EMS District
  Supervisor), depression, social isolation,
  anxiety, frequent EMS calls
• Information/Assistance palliative and long-term
  care, meals on wheels, diabetes clinics,
  transportation, etc.

Emergency Medical Services
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9-1-1 In Any Language

• DVD describing 9-1-1 In Any Language developed
  through the General Managers Advisory Committee
  to be made available to diverse community groups
• Access to translators in gt 140 languages to serve
  Torontos diverse communities
• Website currently available in
• English
• Spanish
• Italian
• Chinese
• www.toronto.ca/emerg/911.htm

Emergency Medical Services
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e

• Encourage public involvement in the provision of
  Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and wherever
  possible the use of Public Access Defibrillators
  (PAD)
• PAD program is part of an integrated system of
  responses to cardiac emergencies it builds upon
  the system of paramedics, emergency medical
  dispatchers, police officers and firefighters
• PAD program also includes the medical director of
  the base hospital, a provider course and
  continuing education
• A PAD provider is a person who has successfully
  completed the PAD program and is certified to
  provide these skills under the direction of the
  program's medical director

Emergency Medical Services
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Seniors Services in the TPS

• Persons abuse neglect issues (Community
  Mobilization Unit)
• An officer is administratively responsible for
  providing assistance and intervention for Mental
  Health/Elder/Vulnerable Persons
• Member of Long-Term Care Mental Health
  Committees
• Divisional community relations officers are
  involved in these issues at the local level
  (through 17 divisions)
• Crime prevention and elder abuse presentations
  are presented to a wide variety of seniors
  groups by crime prevention and/or community
  relations officers
• Website details many resources available for
  victims of elder abuse
• www.torontopolice.on.ca

Toronto Police Services
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Seniors Services in the TPS Continued

• Fraud Squad - Project Senior
• Officers responsible to investigate frauds
  scams (stranger/ "business type relationships
  vs. senior victimized by a person in a position
  of trust or authority)
• A variety of publications are available (a number
  available on the website), for example
• Apartment Security
• Elder Abuse
• Home Security
• Cyber Safety
• Community Safety
• Identity Theft
• Purse Snatching
• Work closely with crisis teams

Toronto Police Service
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Street Safety

• Were All Pedestrians Program
• Snow clearing program In areas where sidewalks
  are not mechanically cleared of snow, seniors can
  register to have the sidewalk in front of their
  homes manually cleared by staff
• Oversized street name signs
• Audible Pedestrian Signals approximately 15 new
  each year to assist visually impaired pedestrians
  cross the street at signalized intersections
• Extended crossing times at intersections with
  high volume of seniors use
• Publish Safety Tips in brochures and on website

Transportation Services
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Street Safety Continued

• Bus-back and bus shelter posters To encourage
  drivers to slow down and pay more attention to
  pedestrians
• Zebra-striped pedestrian crossings have been
  installed at a number of signalized intersections
  to make the pedestrian crossing more visible to
  drivers
• A leading pedestrian interval gives pedestrians a
  head start to enter the crosswalk before drivers
  get the green signal is being tested

Transportation Services
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Accessible, Affordable Transportation

• In 1983, the TTC assumed responsibility for
  specialized transit within the City of Toronto
• Wheel-Trans, a division of the TTC, provides gt 2
  million door-to-door accessible trips for gt
  35,000 registered customers annually
• 70 of Wheel-Trans customers are seniors
• Transit information in gt 140 languages
• Your Safety Partner program
• The Advisory Committee on Accessible
  Transportation reports directly to TTC
• To represent the issues and concerns of seniors
  and persons with disabilities

Toronto Transit Commission
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Wheel-Trans

• Advance Reservations
• Book a ride by calling Advance Reservations one
  day in advance
• For example, call on Monday for a ride on Tuesday
• Pre-book Reservations
• Pre-book Service is available if you travel to
  the same destination on the same day each week,
  at the same times, for a minimum of four
  consecutive weeks
• Same day Reservations
• Open weekdays 0530 hr 0100 hr
• Open weekends and holidays 0630 hr 0100 hr

Toronto Transit Commission
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Seniors Recreation Strategy

• Approved by City Council in 2005
• Strategy was developed in consultation with
  Torontos seniors, program participants,
  volunteers and representatives from the Mayors
  Roundtable on Seniors and the Toronto Seniors
  Forum
• Strategy was based on commitment to a
  comprehensive, coordinated, holistic service
  model for seniors and addressed issues such as
• Growth in seniors population and future trends
• Financial issues and income gap
• Diversity
• Allocation of appropriate physical space
• Strategy made recommendations in 4 priority
  areas
• Access
• Program and service delivery
• Communication
• Staff and volunteer resources

Parks, Forestry and Recreation
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Priority Areas

• Access
• Accessibility and safety audits on facilities,
  parks and trails
• Multi-year capital plan including requirements
  for attention to access and safety for seniors in
  all retrofits and new buildings
• Commitment to provide a welcoming environment for
  seniors Welcome Policy for those unable to pay
  set fees
• Financial policies to ensure inclusion of seniors
  with modest financial means, as well as those who
  are marginalized and/or isolated (50 discount
  for adult program fees)
• Inclusion of seniors in space allocation planning
  process
• Staff and volunteer training regarding respect
  for cultural diversity
• Collaboration with other community providers to
  ensure access to appropriate transportation
• Program and Service Delivery
• Recreation Advisory Councils to recommend
  seniors programming with a range of
  opportunities for all from frail to active
• Intergenerational programming
• Partnerships with other organizations to offer
  specialty programs
• Peers Teaching Peers programs
• Education regarding aging consumer in staff and
  volunteer training
• Older Adult Service Team

Parks, Forestry and Recreation
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Priority Areas Continued

• Communication
• Comprehensive communications strategy,
  recognizing various literacy levels and
  multi-lingual needs
• Interior and exterior signage designed to be
  easier to read (e.g. colour, font size, etc.)
• Education campaign directed at seniors to promote
  the benefits of recreation and promote a positive
  seniors image
• Translation of Parks, Forestry and Recreation
  information to better serve various cultural and
  linguistic communities throughout Toronto
• Staff and Volunteer Resources
• Recruit and retain volunteers specifically for
  seniors programs
• Enhance volunteer program to ensure
  comprehensiveness, with emphasis on orientation,
  training, recognition
• Train staff and volunteers related to seniors
  issues

Praks, Forestry and Recreation
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Mission

• Provide exemplary care service in a manner that
  respects, supports enables
• Provide a continuum of LTC through dedicated
  staff, volunteers and community partners
• Demonstrate effective diversity practice
• Achieve cultural competency
• Actively participate in the integrated health
  care system
• Promote and achieve community engagement through
  community input and through working closely with
  various advisory committees
• Enriching the lives of those we serve

Long-Term Care Homes and Services
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Scope of Services

Specialty medical and dental services are
provided through Community Partnerships
10 Long-Term Care Homesgt 2,600 residents
Adult Day Centresgt 11,000 client days per year
Long-Term Care Homes and Services
Supportive Housinggt 325 Clients
Meals on Wheelsgt 2,100 meals/week
Homemakers andNurses Servicesgt 115,000 visits
per year
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Collaborative Model of Care

• Work in partnership with other organizations to
  serve diverse communities
• Important to have shared values vision
• Meeting the full spectrum of needs is beyond the
  capabilities of any one organization
• Working with communities contributes to both
  community development and enhancement of care and
  service
• Work with varying linguistic, cultural and
  religious community groups to develop care and
  service programs that respond to diverse needs
  e.g.
• French language community
• Japanese community
• Korean community
• Estonian community
• Cantonese community
• Mandarin community
• Armenian community
• Tamil community
• Italian community
• Jewish community

Long-Term Care Homes and Services
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Collaborative Model of Care Continued

• Long-Term Care Mental Health Framework
• LGBT Inclusiveness
• LGBT Toolkit
• Activities of Daily Living
• Menu diversity
• Spiritual programming
• Activity programming
• Volunteer programming
• TV and radio
• Listen to Their Needs Make it Happen
• Volunteer Youth Councils
• Preventing Falls and Reducing Hip Fractures

Long-Term Care Homes and Services
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Leadership in Customer Service

• Resident Client Advocate
• Just for You and Just for Families
• Series of brochures on topics of interest to
  seniors and those exploring LTC
• Also available on the divisions website
• Resident Family Education
• Comprehensive website currently available in
  English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese,
  Tamil, Spanish
• Additional translation planned
• www.toronto.ca/ltc
• Advisory Committees
• Community Advisory Committees
• Family Committees
• Residents Councils
• Residents Councils Summit

Long-Term Care Homes and Services
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Toronto Challenge

• Toronto Challenge is the premier fundraising
  event to help seniors in Toronto
• Aerobic warm-up
• 5k run, 5k walk, 1k walk
• More than 50 community agencies serving seniors
  join the Long-Term Care Division in this annual
  event
• MonsterMortgage.ca is the events
• presenting sponsor
• Toronto Challenge provides a wide
• range of fundraising opportunities
• and opportunity to profile seniors
• issues

Long-Term Care Homes and Services
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Housing Opportunities

• TCHC is a non-profit corporation owned by the
  City of Toronto that provides housing to about
  25,000 seniors in rent geared to income units
  across the City of Toronto
•  
• Out of 58,500 units, over 12,000 are specifically
  designated for seniors
• TCHC partners with Toronto Long-Term Care Homes
  and Services to provide supportive housing in a
  number of TCHC buildings, supporting seniors to
  age in place
• Toronto Seniors Forum identified housing as one
  of the most pressing issues faced by a growing
  population of seniors

Toronto Community Housing Corporation
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Shelter for Vulnerable Seniors

• 3 units of the Shelter, Support and Housing
  Administration Division support older adults who
  are homeless or at-risk of homelessness
• Housing and Homeless Support Initiative
• Hostel Services
• Social Housing and Administration
• Day centre for older homeless men, 13-unit
  transitional housing for frail seniors with
  mental health issues, needs assessment to
  determine eviction prevention
• Shelters are provided for persons of all ages
• 18,400 social housing units for seniors 16
  privately funded rent supplement units a
  building with 25 RGI units for seniors moving
  from shelters to housing

Shelter, Support and Housing Administration
40
Affordable Housing

• Affordable Housing Office was established in 2005
  to facilitate the development of new affordable
  housing
• Affordable Housing Office continues the work of
  the former Lets Build Unit to get affordable
  housing built and lead policy, research and
  advocacy work
• Lets Build supported two (2) projects for
  seniors housing through SCPI funding
• Affordable Housing Office oversees the
  Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program
  (RRAP)

Affordable Housing Office
41
Inter-generational Programming

• 3 child care programs co-located in City operated
  long-term care homes
• Inter-generational programming opportunities

Children's Services
42
Services for Seniors

• Unique collection formats for seniors
• Over 102,000 large print books
• 25,000 talking books
• 400 described videos (narrates action during
  breaks in dialogue)
• Over 53,000 audio books on compact disc or
  cassette
• 130,000 videos and 6,300 DVDs
• A growing collection of E-books and E-audio books
• Large print format books lists highlighting new
  books
• Adaptive technology
• Large LCD screen monitors in every branch
• 1 computer in every branch has screen
  magnification software
• More specialized software is available at the
  Centre for People with Disabilities located at
  the Toronto Reference Library
• Programs
• Books clubs, weekly slide shows, films, music and
  author readings
• Internet training such as Move that Mouse!, Web
  Basics and Email Made Easy

Toronto Public Library
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Services for Seniors Continued

• Home Library Services
• Available for seniors who are home-bound for gt 3
  months
• Variety of library materials (books, paperbacks,
  large print books, talking books and materials in
  language other than English are delivered free of
  charge)
• Deposit Collections
• 72 book deposit collections of 100-200 titles are
  delivered and refreshed every 3 months to
  seniors apartment buildings, retirement homes
  and long-term care homes located throughout
  Toronto
• Bookmobile
• Wheelchair accessible travelling library makes 33
  stops at community centres, apartment complexes
  and shopping centres throughout Toronto
• Special Needs Status
• Special needs status on a customers card exempts
  them from overdue fines if they are unable to
  return library material within a set period of
  time due to age, illness, disability

Toronto Public Library
44
Gray Matters and Seniors Programs

• Free series with guest speakers
• Sample Grey Matters programs
• Creativity and the Search for Meaning in Later
  Life
• More than Meets the Eye
• Can We Live Forever?
• No Laughing Matter Adventure, Activism and
  Politics
• Volunteering Abroad
• The Grandmothers Hypothesis
• Sample Seniors Programs
• Identity Theft and Fraud
• Osteoporosis, Nutrition and You
• Baby Boomers Can You Afford to Retire
• Chinese Brush Painting
• Seniors Safety Workshop
• Estate Planning

Toronto Public Library
45
CONTACT INFORMATION www.toronto.ca or
Contact Sandra Pitters General Manager,
Long-Term Care Homes and Services spitters_at_toronto
.ca
46
Discussion
Long-Term Care Homes and Services
Questions?