Social isolation can have a profound impact on a person’s health and well-being, including their physical, emotional, and/or mental health, and it's a growing concern among older adults in Cambridge.
Recognizing the signs of social isolation and understanding how to help will be crucial to ensuring people feel connected, engaged, and live more fulfilled lives.
Trillium Church is inviting the community to its free Wellness Talk on social isolation next week as part of their Community Wellness project, a year-long outreach initiative to support and advocate for older adults with health challenges who may lack family/community support, face the challenges of a fixed income or have cultural / language barriers.
On June 6, Christine Pellegrino of the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) will present “Support Your Neighbours: How to identify and support older adults experiencing social isolation.”
Pellegrino will share tips and strategies from RIA’s newest resource: Supporting Your Neighbours: A Community Conversation Guide.
Launched on Feb. 1, Trillium’s Community Wellness project offers three services to the community: Personal Care Clinics—subsidized foot care and haircuts; support/advocacy from Trillium’s parish nurse; and free Wellness Talks with information on health and safety. The June 6 event is the second of four Wellness Talks offered free to the community in 2023.
“When planning new outreach at Trillium, we identified social inclusion as a priority need. We are fortunate the RIA is available to share their expertise in this area," says Ruth Thompson, project leader for Community Wellness.
Trillium’s Community Wellness Project is possible because of grants from the United Church of Canada’s Embracing the Spirit program and, with the endorsement of United Church Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council, the Presbyteries of Toronto Conference Corporation. These granting bodies support innovative projects for the renewal and redevelopment of faith communities.
Several local social service organizations have supported the need for the Community Wellness Project in Cambridge. Sharon Livingstone of the Cambridge Council on Aging endorsed the project.
“Community wellness programs are evidence-based. They can reduce the waitlists for health care, provide an option that allows older adults to age in place, and provide exercise, socialization and belonging to reduce the deficits associated with social isolation," Livingstone says.
This next Wellness Talk, “Supporting Your Neighbours,” will be held at Trillium Church, 450 King St. E., Cambridge, on Tuesday, June 6, at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome to attend the presentation. Trillium will offer a light lunch on a pay-as-you-can basis.
For more information about the event, contact Thompson at 519-654-8350 or [email protected].
