City Council Agenda - November 26, 2012 - City of Guelph

Attachment 1• Establishment of annual goals and objectives, monitoring of progress• Preparation of an Annual Report on progress toward meeting goals and objectives4. The cross-departmental Implementation Project Team requires senior-level membership from Citystaff to ensure its ability to make decisions around key priorities, coordinated action plans acrossdepartments and in concert with other city-wide initiatives (e.g., well-being, community investment),and resource requirements, all in a timely manner.5. The Well-Being initiative will be a touchstone initiative for the City that will encompass other ofthe City’s projects and strategies including its youth, community investment, and Older AdultStrategies. All of these strategies are designed to make Guelph an attractive place to live and growold, and there are likely to be many opportunities to align and/or combine the various projects toproduce a consistent, coordinated approach. Accordingly, there may be merit in assemblingleadership under the umbrella of the Well-Being Initiative, and reporting to the office of the CAO,where responsibility for corporate strategic initiatives resides and where authority for action acrossall departments can be assured.3.0 THAT the City ensure that all aspects of the Older Adult Strategy are inclusive; that it addressthe entire age range of older adults (55+) and the needs of different ethnic, cultural, language andincome groups.RationaleGuelph’s demographics are changing. Increasingly, many of the City’s older adults will come fromdifferent ethnic, cultural, language, income and geographic groups. Many older adults are currentlyisolated, with little or no access to programs and services. Many are at risk of physical and socialisolation, are underhoused or at risk of losing their homes, or are experiencing significant health risksthat will force them to leave their homes and their neighbourhoods. It will be important to thesuccess of the Older Adult Strategy to ensure that all of Guelph’s older adults are well served by Cityprograms and services.While the concepts of inclusion and equity seem evident in the development of an Older AdultStrategy, the experience of older adults in Guelph reflects a gap in policy and programming for anumber of groups, including (but not limited to) those who are isolated due to financial insecurity,mobility impairments, those from different language, ethnic and/or cultural backgrounds, those withmental health and addictions issues, and those with cognitive impairments (e.g., acquired braininjuries, Alzheimer’s, developmental disability). To be truly accessible and “age-friendly” is to beaware of ALL residents, including those who have additional challenges, but for whom an age-friendlycity is crucial to their ability to participate. Specific attention to ensuring that policy, programs andservices are inclusive and equitable will ensure that the Older Adult Strategy is meaningful for allresidents.Older Adult Strategy for the City of GuelphPrepared by The Osborne Group, October 201247