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PROGRAM LEADERS YOU can help create a sense of belonging for people with dementia deliver diverse experiences facilitate expression of feelings stimulate the senses and emotions It is so important to remain socially, mentally and physically active when experiencing cognitive decline. Program leaders are essential partners in offering meaningful activities that are fun and inclusive, so community members living with dementia and their care partners look forward to participating. This website's Resources will help you understand how to engage and adapt your leadership skills so your language and approaches resonate and encourage everyone to remain active and involved in your programs. Hub Partners would like to hear from you! Visit the Current Hub Partner Projects page to see which project is most attractive and contact the Partner sponsoring it

HOUSING FOR SENIORS Top of Housing for Seniors Affordable rentals are currently difficult to find in Vancouver. When their tenancy is threatened or ended, many elderly tenants on fixed incomes are unable to relocate anywhere near their former homes, even temporarily. New buildings, even those with a percentage of below-market rental units, are not yet ready for tenants. What are Westside Seniors Hub members doing about housing for seniors? Recent updates listed first . October 2024 Council invited WSH Partners to participate in feedback on the City’s Social Housing Initiative and representatives attended SHI Open House consultations to speak with Planners September 2024 VCH Population Health facilitated contacting the City of Vancouver’s Assistant Director Housing Policy and Regulation | Planning, Urban Design & Sustainability to discuss implementation of the City’s Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy developed in conjunction with its Broadway Plan and Housing Vancouver 10 Year Housing Targets . Meeting time pending. Council representatives attended United Way BC webinar Making Rental Housing Affordable for Seniors and People with Low-Incomes and benefit from summaries of data and research in its two Fact Sheets – Key Messages and Defining the Problem and Finding Solutions . August 2024 Council representatives met with Brenda Bailey, MLA and candidate for a new Vancouver-South Granville riding to discuss issues in the WSH Briefing Note on Seniors Housing and potential actions. Council representatives met with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Medical Health Officer (Housing), ED Population Health, and the Lead for Seniors’ Healthy Public Policy to discuss their roles and current involvement in seniors’ housing issues relevant to WSH Briefing Note on Seniors Housing . Council prepared a Briefing Note on Seniors Housing summarizing concerns about senior tenants being negatively impacted by developments in the Vancouver housing market and the actions and support needed for this vulnerable population. Council representatives met the BC Housing’s Assoc. VP Supportive Housing & Homelessness, Operations Division to discuss potential short-term shelter spaces in Chalmers Lodge and other supportive housing operated by BCH. Advocated for westside seniors experiencing housing precarity to remain in their neighbourhoods while seeking more stable housing. July 2024 Council representatives contributed to City's Older Persons and Elders Advisory Committee (OPEAC) Housing Subcommittee drafts of Motions to City Council regarding the need for senior-specific shelters and transparency regarding implementation of the Broadway Plan's Enhanced Tenant Relocation & Protection Policy . Encouraged WSH Partners to advocate with City of Vancouver Councillors for adoption of the Seniors Housing Strategy . June 2024 Council members began attending monthly OPEAC Housing Subcommittee meetings as guests to become familiar with their community partners and contribute to their action plans. Representatives from a dozen WSH Partner organizations met at a quarterly Partners’ meeting to discuss five Seniors’ Housing Issues for Action: Follow-up to 2024 Q1 Partners’ Meeting . Council member attended 411 Housing Forum to liaise with other local housing advocates. May 2024 Council members explored Seniors Services Society of BC’s (SSSBC’s) Seniors Housing Information & Navigation Ease (SHINE) program with WESN’s Housing Navigator. Recruited a volunteer to participate in SHINE’s four online training sessions. April 2024 The City of Vancouver’s D raft Seniors’ Housing Strategy was released for public feedback. P ublic and WSH Partners invited to participate in submitting comments by May 16th. March 2024 Council prepared a resource list: Housing Resources Referenced at Quarterly Housing meeting Brief summary: Seniors Housing Issues for Action: Follow-up to 2024 Q1 Partners’ Meeting February 21, 2024 Representatives from a dozen WSH Partner organizations met at a Quarterly Partners’ meeting to discuss seniors’ housing affordability . They were joined by guests from the City of Vancouver, City’s Older Persons & Elders Advisory Committee, Healthy Aging United Way BC, Hey Neighbour Collective & SFU Housing Solutions Lab, Premier’s Legislative Office, Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House, and South Vancouver Seniors Network. Presentations at Quarterly meeting: Healthy Aging UWBC presentation by Dr. Laura Kadowaki and Dr. Beverley Pitman City of Vancouver Older Persons & Elders Advisory Committee (OPEAC) by Dr. Marc White SFU Housing Solutions Lab Exploring Housing Options for Older Adults Design concepts by Michelle Hoar February 2024 Council prepared some briefing materials to inform WSH Partners: Selected Housing Navigation Supports & Trainings and Selected Recommendations from UWBC’s Aging in Uncertainty: The Growing Housing Crisis for BC Seniors report (Nov 2023) & IRPP’s Affordability Action Council report (Feb 2024) Entire UWBC Healthy Aging report Aging in Uncertainty and City of Vancouver Seniors’ Housing Strategy: What We Heard report (July 2023) January 2024 A questionnaire circulated by WSH Council to its Partner Organizations produced: A Snapshot: What Partner Organizations are Seeing, Hearing and Doing. Fall 2023 Survey of Hub Partner Organizations identified top priority issues of concern: Housing, Food Security, Phase 2 Dementia Ventures, Caregiver Support, Emergency Preparedness. Return to Top of Housing for Seniors

BECOME A PARTNER If you are a public, non-profit, or faith-based organization that serves seniors on Vancouver’s Westside, we would like to collaborate with you! JOIN HUB COUNCIL Learn more about our Westside Seniors Hub Council, composed of volunteer seniors or those who work with seniors. We are continuously recruiting for new members. PROJECT OPTIONS In 2024 we currently have three major projects. Food Security, Housing for Seniors, and our ongoing Dementia Ventures project. Learn about our Hub Partners Contact us to become a Partner Learn about the Hub Council Contact us to join the Hub Learn More about Projects Dementia Ventures Opportunities JOIN THE HUB There are many ways to become involved in the Hub. We are always looking for new members.

New Grant Opportunities 2024 November 15 We are not aware of any Grants that are currently available. As we learn of new Grants, we will post them here. Please return to see any new Grants. To learn more about past Grant Opportunities click Past Grant Opportunities

OPPORTUNITIES DEMENTIA VENTURES Would you like to help the Hub achieve its goals of creating a more inclusive community and increasing social citizenship of people living with dementia? Then please consider helping plan, implement and sustain meaningful activities. Here are some opportunities for community members to become involved in Dementia Ventures. Please contact the Partner Organization directly or send a message to the Hub for details. Postings will remain here until a Partner notifies the webmaster that a position is no longer available. KITSILANO NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE Kits House has launched a dementia awareness initiative. There are opportunities to join focus groups that will guide program development. There is a dementia buddies program with training to communicate and help people experiencing dementia live well in the community. Other awareness activities and conversations are planned to make our community more dementia friendly Click here to find out more. WESTSIDE SENIORS HUB COUNCIL The Hub Council is recruiting volunteers to join us and ensure that Westside neighbourhoods are places where seniors can thrive. We work collaboratively with Hub Partners on projects such as Dementia Ventures . For more information, please click here . SOUTH GRANVILLE SENIOR CENTRE Enabling Connections...A Tablet Lending Library South Granville Seniors Centre & Many Partners “The four elements of the Enabling Connections program are: a tablet lending library, digital literacy mentoring, a virtual senior’s centre, and knowledge sharing with other organizations. The Enabling Connections project is focused on creating connections between individuals and creating a sense of community and mutual support, peer to peer.” Project launched May 6, 2021. Information here FAQ here The Seniors Centre offers a monthly Happy Memories Café that is a safe place to share your experiences, participate in discussions and build lasting friendships. Click here for information. FIREWEED CLUB Dunbar Residents Association & Kitsilano Neighbourhood House The Fireweed Club is a collaborative project bringing a variety of free outdoor activities to seniors on the westside. These activities are open to any seniors who want to stay active, socialize and build relationships. People living with memory loss or other invisible challenges are welcome to come by themselves or to bring their friends and care partners. The Club seeks participants, program leaders and volunteers all year. More information here .

CURRENT HUB PARTNERS' PROJECTS Dementia Ventures i s a commitment by the Westside Seniors Hub Partner Organizations to offer diverse activities for people living with dementia and their care partners. These activities are designed to: reduce stigma sustain quality of life The projects listed below are partially funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada via the Building Capacity for Meaningful Participation by People Living with Dementia umbrella project. Current Hub Partner project planning began in early 2020 and is evolving all the time! For more information, click on a category below to learn more, or click on a Partner's name for their contact information. COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS Hub Partners want to foster more inclusive communities . They engage a wide range of community members in plans and conversations to build and change programs, and increase awareness. These Partners are currently working on projects to achieve those objectives. If you can participate in their projects, please click on the Partner's name and contact them directly. Translink Awareness-Building Placards Thanks to an Implementation Fund grant from the Building Capacity for Meaningful Participation by People Living with Dementia project, the Hub’s Council has placed 210 awareness-building placards inside TransLink buses in Metro Vancouver during the summer. The three different designs developed by Building Capacity project team members Samantha Pineda Sierra and Heather Neale Furneaux, quote Action Committee members with lived experience from a special initiative known as The Flipping Stigma Project . These members’ comments reflect on what it feels like to be discriminated against because of their dementia. The campaign aims to increase awareness and encourage open and respectful conversations about living with dementia. Even if you don’t travel on public buses, you will want to take a look HERE at these engaging placards. Kitsilano Community Centre Association offers a variety of physical, social, and multicultural programming sponsored two Memory Cafés in October aimed at gathering programming needs and ideas from people experiencing dementia and care partners Community Needs Assessment Group sponsored two Memory Cafés to gather community members' perspectives. An insightful report summarizes responses and diverse strategies for next steps in programming. steps forward West Point Grey United Church TLC (The Lunch Club) A program for seniors and people with dementia in the west side of Vancouver. A Four Part Series with educational component and group discussions. Pacific Spirit United Church Congregation members at Pacific Spirit United Church created an insightful four-part series looking at dementia from a community perspective. It's called Beacon *shining light on Dementia and is available online here . PROGRAM PLANNING Hub Partners are adapting existing programs to be more inclusive and planning new programs. They appreciate having community members participate at every stage - planning, implementing and sustaining - to build community capacity. If you can participate at any stage of program planning or implementation, please click on the name of a Hub Partner below for their project description and contact them directly. A.S.K. Friendship Centre develop programs & design space purchase art supplies to diversify programs Dunbar Residents Association identify assets & gaps in services for seniors adapt Salmonberry Days for inclusive programming organize Fireweed Club for outdoor activities in Balaclava Park, including development of a pollinator garden Kitsilano Neighbourhood House promote dementia awareness with staff and volunteer trainings convene a focus group to include the voices of people living with dementia and care partners in meaningful activities engage Business Improvement Areas (BIA) in a series of dialogues South Granville Seniors Centre Two Happy Memories Cafés English-language Café brochure here Spanish-language Café brochure here Collaborative Project - Fireweed Club helping provide transportation to bring participants to outdoor events. opportunities to connect with the larger community and build new connections with people living with dementia in the community. summer schedule of activities in Vancouver's westside parks and plazas here included outings in ASK Society's van DISCOVERING COMMUNITY ASSETS These projects focus on identifying community members and services that can help build capacity to offer meaningful opportunities and adapt existing services to be more inclusive. If you can participate in building capacity, please click on the Hub Partner's name for their contact them directly. The Building Capacity Project - Dementia Ventures Offers engaging programs in order to help organizations make existing offerings more inclusive. Informs future policies and priorities in community and health settings for dementia inclusive communities. Westside Seniors Hub - Transportation Initiative Model Programs that explore van-sharing and public transit challenges and solutions for seniors. Westside Seniors Hub Develop a website to showcase Partners' projects and opportunities to get involved Invite diverse community members to become involved Collaborate with UBC Centre for Community Engaged Learning students involved as Community Action Mobilizers to conduct asset-mapping of Vancouver's westside neighbourhoods and promote community resilience planning for shocks & stressors

We'd love to know what you think! Name Your email address What two or three words come to mind when viewing this image? How does this image impact the way you think about Dementia? Would you like to know more about Dementia? Yes No Not sure SUBMIT

PERSON LIVING WITH DEMENTIA You are invited to help: suggest & plan appealing activity options shape what ongoing social citizenship looks like build new attitudes within your community sustain your quality of life Hub Partners need to hear from you! Please: visit the Current Hub Partner Projects page to see which project is most attractive and contact the Partner sponsoring it.

Top of Hub Partners page HUB PARTNERS Become a partner Contact Us Partner Organizations have an interest in collaborating with others to support seniors in their community. They are non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, and government agencies that serve seniors on Vancouver’s Westside. The catchment area is bounded by English Bay (north), Ontario Street (east), Fraser River (south), and includes the University Endowment Lands (west). Learn more about the values that Partner Organizations share here . A.S.K FRIENDSHIP CENTRE, Adult day program 7405 Paulson Street Vancouver V6P 6M7 604-263-7333 https://askcentre.ca/ caring@askcentre.ca BROCK HOUSE SOCIETY 3875 Point Grey Road, Vancouver, V6R 1B3 604-228-1461 https://www.brockhousesociety.com communications@brockhousesociety .com DUNBAR COMMUNITY CENTRE & ASSOCIATION 4747 Dunbar Street, Vancouver, V6S 2H2 604-222-6060 Press '1' https://www.dunbarcentre.org/\ dunbarcc@vancouver.ca DUNBAR RESidENTS ASSOCIATION 45057 - 4326 Dunbar Street, Vancouver, V6S 2M8 604-222-9824 http://www.dunbar-vancouver.org info@dunbar-vancouver.org FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF BC 6 - 3318 Oak Street, Victoria, V6X 1R1 1-877-520-3267 https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/ caregiversupport@fcns.ca HOME SUPPORT PROJECT (INTERIM) https://www.vch.ca/en/service/home-support JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES 320 - 2285 Clark Drive, Vancouver, V5N 3G9 604-257-5151 https://www.jfsvancouver.ca info@jfsvancouver.ca KERRISDALE SENIORS CENTRE 5851 West Blvd., Vancouver, V6M 3W9 604-257-8100 ext. 1 http://www.kerrisdalecc.com/facilities-rentals/seniors-centre/ kerrisdalecc@vancouver.ca KITSILANO COMMUNITY CENTRE & Association 2690 Larch St., Vancouver, V6K 4K9 604-257-6976 ext 1 https://kitscc.com kitscc@vancouver.ca KITSILANO NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE 2305 West 7th Ave., Vancouver, V6K 1Y4 604-736-3588 http://www.kitshouse.org frontdesk@kitshouse.org Pacific spirit united church 2195 W. 45th Avenue, Vancouver BC, V6M 2J2 www.pacificspirituc.com sabharpe@gmail.com SOUTH GRANVILLE SENIORS CENTRE 1420 West 12th Ave., Vancouver, V6H 1M8 604-732-0812 https://www.southgranvilleseniors.ca info@southgranvilleseniors.ca ST. FAITH'S ANGLICAN CHURCH 7284 Cypress Street, Vancouver, V6P 5M3 604-266-8011 ext. 1 https://stfaiths.ca / office@stfaiths.ca ST. STEPHEN'S UNITED CHURCH 7025 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6P 4X6 604-266-4944 https://heritagevancouver.org Karen Harder: meharder@shaw.ca VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY DUNBAR BRANCH 4515 Dunbar St., Vancouver, V6S 2G7 604-665-3968 https://www.vpl.ca/location/dunbar-branch info@vpl.ca VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY KERRISDALE BRANCH 2112 West 42nd Ave, Vancouver, V6M 2B6 604-665-3974 https://www.vpl.ca/location/kerrisdale-branch info@vpl.ca VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY KITSILANO BRANCH 2425 MacDonald Street, Vancouver, V6K 3Y9 604-665-3976 https://www.vpl.ca/location/kitsilano-branch info@vpl.ca VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY West Point GREY BRANCH 4480 West 10th Ave., Vancouver, V6R 2H9 604-665-3982 https://www.vpl.ca/location/west-point-grey-branch info@vpl.ca West Point GREY COMMUNITY CENTRE & Association 4397 West 2nd Ave., Vancouver, V6R 1K4 604-257-8140 https://www.westpointgrey.org/ wpgcc@vancouver.ca WEST POINT GREY UNITED CHURCH 4595 8th Ave. W, Vancouver BC, V6R 2A4 604-224-4388 www.wpguc.com office @wpguc.com

Events - Return to top SOUND BYTES SERIES Return to top Hub Community Action That Builds Capacity The Dementia Ventures project empowers Hub Partners to build out inclusive community programming for all and adapt to include people living with dementia. They and their care partners want to remain socially engaged in meaningful activities. A collaboration with UBC’s Dr. Alison Phinney and her Building Capacity team offers financial, strategic and logistical resources so programs can welcome and support those with dementia and their care partners. We celebrated midway in this initiative with a series of vibrant online community dialogues. The theme was: “What it means to be an accepting and inclusive community.” SoundBytes wants to share wisdom from those dialogues. Here are our first nuggets. There will be many more! PAVING THE WAY FOR OTHERS WITH DEMENTIA ... BC-based Lynn Jackson is a retired nurse and highly active advocate for people living with dementia. She's a member of several action groups and continues to blaze a trail for others to live well and feel empowered living with dementia. Watch Full Event HERE A PERSON-CENTERED APPROACH TO DEMENTIA ... In a recent Dementia Dialogue podcast interview, BC artist and advocate Granville Johnson reminds us how crucial it is that people with dementia be involved in planning and decision making for initiatives that affect their lives. "Inclusion creates understanding, facilitates empathy, and shares love." For more on the importance of including and respecting people with dementia, please visit buildingcapacityproject.com and flippingstigma.com Watch Full Event HERE STRENGTH IN NUMBERS ... This excerpt from a new episode of Dementia Dialogue features UBC's Dr. Alison Phinney on overcoming barriers to community engagement for people living with dementia. Dr. Phinney discusses what she's learned through her extensive research, and how important it is to have a team. Joining her in discussion on the episode is Community Research Coordinator Dr. Andrea Monteiro and BC-based Lynn Jackson, a dementia advocate and retired nurse living with dementia who explains what's been most effective for her. Watch Full Event HERE THE BEAUTY OF INCLUSION ... Veteran dementia advocate and Thunder Bay resident Bill Heibein expresses his deep appreciation for the inclusive and warm nature of his local Dementia Cafe and its refreshing lack of labels. "No one asks who's who; they just welcome you in the door." Sounds pretty lovely to us! Watch Full Event HERE THE POWER IN THE WORDS WE USE ... When John's doctor made a joke out of his dementia, he was deeply hurt. It's these kinds of microaggressions that create the biggest barriers for people with dementia to live well. Words like these that silence people who really need to speak and share. Help us empower people with lived experience to know they're entitled to live their best life too. Watch Full Event HERE PERSPECTIVE IS EVERYTHING ... BC-based artist and advocate Granville Johnson spoke out about fear and the power of our perspective on Dementia Dialogue's most recent podcast episode, addressing the ways we can choose to gain some sense of control and joy back into our lives even in the face of new challenges. Watch Full Event HERE WHAT HOLDS US BACK The biggest challenge to community support for people living with dementia. In the most recent podcast episode of Dementia Dialogue, Dr. Alison Phinney discusses the stigma attached to dementia diagnoses and how that impacts community support efforts. She speaks with host Lisa Loiselle and fellow podcast guest Granville Johnson, who lives with dementia himself, about the important balance to be struck between training and education on one hand, and engaging with people with lived experience on the other. Watch Full Event HERE TURNING TOWARDS THE PERSON WITH DEMENTIA A care partners perspective on what helps. Karen Rolston’s mother Louise started getting inklings something was a little “off” back in 2011. At the time, the Rolstons were already in the process of creating a laneway house on their property for her, so they could live close together. The timing worked out well. Louise lived there for seven years beside her daughter Karen, Karen’s husband, and their daughter. Those years were, “a beautiful opportunity for us to just wrap mom with more support and care while she was able to live in her own space,”Karen said. When Karen thinks about the journey she has been on with her mom, and the reactions from people when it comes to dementia, the word that comes to mind is fear. “People find out someone has dementia, and they think, ‘Am I going to receive this diagnosis too?’ ‘Is someone I love going to get dementia?’” Rolston said. Fear seeps in and too often, people pull away. “People often don’t know what to say or do, so they turn away from those with dementia instead of turning toward them with love,”Rolston said. Rolston is extremely grateful for community supports. Her mom really enjoyed the Alzheimer Society’s Minds in Motion program, the Alzheimer’s Café and the Helena choir she joined. “These community groups are where we felt really held,” she said. “It’s such a painful journey and there is still so much we can do.” In this Soundbyte, Rolston offers her thoughts on how to really tune into a person’s needs and meet them where they are, rather than seeing their responses as resistance or defiance. Loving and showing up for someone with dementia is about cherishing the now, embracing their world, and accepting what is. Watch Full Event HERE ANDRÉ PICARD ON THE MEDIA'S ROLE IN STAMPING OUT STIGMA ... Esteemed Globe and Mail Columnist André Picard wrote Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada’s Elders in the Wake of a Pandemic in 2021, a book that discusses what needs to change to shift the culture of long-term care across our country. “Picard reveals the full extent of the crisis in eldercare and offers an urgently needed prescription to fix a broken system and ensure long-term care homes are not warehouses of isolation and neglect” Penguin Random House states on their site. Care home COVID outbreaks seemed to be exploding in every region of the country at the time, drawing attention to the deplorable working conditions they had for employees, the resulting neglect residents experienced, and the total lack of support for the institutions in general. In this storyboard, Picard says media needs to highlight not just worst-case scenarios meant to shock and awe, but stories about people living quite well for a long time with dementia. Seeing more people with dementia in our day-to-day activities—including in the news— would normalize that experience as a way of reducing stigma. Lastly, he emphasized the importance of having people with dementia sit on boards and committees on which they get a real vote in the outcomes of important decisions. Watch Full Event HERE SUZUKI ELDERS On the value of art in supporting the dementia journey... Rob Dramer and Lilllian Ireland are self-identified elders who work with the Suzuki foundation mentoring and supporting other elders and younger generations in dialogue and action on environmental issues. They're also traveling performers who offer a multi-sensory show featuring songs they've written about biodiversity, interspersed with some familiar tunes to help audiences tap into earlier memories. Music elicits powerful connections, and they invite audience members to join in the fun alongside them and their collection of beautiful local animal puppets. Watch Full Event HERE POETRY On the value of art in supporting the dementia journey... Myrna Norman is an author, artist, and dementia advocate based in Maple Ridge. In 2009, when Norman was diagnosed with Frontal Temporal Dementia and given eight years to live, she went home ready to die. But after grieving this news for a couple of weeks, Norman decided to do what she’s best at: advocating for change. She became heavily involved in initiatives that let others in her situation know they weren’t alone. Thirteen years later, Norman’s passion, generosity of spirit, and charisma have touched so many lives. Her book, “Dementia Strategies, Tips and Personal Stories,” has become an indispensable voice of validation and support. Norman has participated in multi-year research studies, art-making groups and task forces including The Dementia Sisterhood, the Dementia Action Committee, Dementia Advocacy Canada, the Dementia Friendly Task Force, and now the Building Capacity Project to name just a few. She’s also collaborating with researchers and designers at Emily Carr University’s Health Design Lab to develop a series of workbooks geared at supporting researchers to engage in collaborative work with people with lived experience. And to all these roles, she brings her signature energy, compassion, and love for showing people their strength. Watch Full Event HERE BEACON *Shining Light on Dementia An Initiative to build an inclusive congregation at Pacific Spirit United Church. A dedicated group of congregation members at Pacific Spirit United Church worked together over the course of a year to create an incredible and insightful four-part series on dementia that you can access online. They had noticed church members struggling with cognitive decline and family members worried about finding extra care, so they dove in to offer support. Their commitment to fostering a dementia friendly culture at their church has since inspired many other groups to take action too. For more details go to www.pacificspiritc.com and click on "ministries". The series is under "Beacon *shinning light on dementia." Watch Full Event HERE LET'S TALK ABOUT DEMENTIA The Flipping Stigma Toolkit An Action Group of people living with dementia came together and developed a toolkit to start a conversation about stigma and discrimination in dementia. The Flipping Stigma Toolkit is a project where a group of people diagnosed with dementia partnered with a research team to develop an online toolkit. This Action Group, funded by a research grant from the Canadian Institute of Health and Research, co-designed the toolkit to help people with dementia recognize and respond to stigma and discrimination -and to help others better understand ho to be supportive-. The Goa? Flip that fear on its ear. To learn more visit www.flippingstigma.com Watch Full Event HERE EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY'S HEALTH DESIGN LAB Emily Carr University's Health Design Lab employs participatory methods to lift up the perspectives of people with lived experience. Researchers and designers at Emily Carr University’s Health Design Lab use participatory design methods to catalyze, support and amplify initiatives addressing complex health challenges like dementia. “We use design methods to help engage people with dementia in initiatives that directly impact their lives,” said Lab Director Caylee Raber. The team’s current project is called Collaborate, Gather, Share—a workbook series co-designed by people with lived experience to help drive reflection around how they can be brought into research projects and how best to support those collaborations, recognizing people with dementia as experts. Their recent video, “Perspectives,” paired design students with long-term care residents. They co-designed and co-wrote mini publications featuring residents’ stories. Students developed creative games and activities to help draw out residents’ stories that they then captured in zines and mini-books, some even embroidered on quilts. Lastly, the team worked with Vancouver Coastal Health for four years on a project focused on shifting the culture of care in long-term facilities. All the Lab’s work focuses on how researchers and designers can use their skills and expertise to build upon work already being done—facilitating creative expression and self advocacy for people with dementia and getting those messages out to the world. Watch Full Event HERE REPRESENTATION MATTERS The power of seeing our experiences in the stories of others. Author, artist, and dementia advocate Myrna Norman runs a peer support group for others with dementia in her lower mainland community called the Purple Angels Memory Café. The group meets four times a month, and sometimes outdoors in summer when the weather is beautiful. Every second week, it’s the Army and Navy Club for a beer and live music. Members take turns bringing refreshments and treats and have fundraised up to $300 to put towards games and activities they can play together. The group is a wonderful way to connect with others, share similar experiences, and gain support and a powerful sense of belonging. The best part? Membership is free. “The gift [members] give to me is so much more than could ever be paid,” said Norman. One new member who joined a couple of weeks ago turned to Myrna as he was leaving the Army and Navy Club and said, “Myrna, I feel different now. The music touched something inside of me.” “I still get the shivers thinking about it,” Norman said of the comment. It’s revelations like this one that drew her to this work. For more information or to check out the Purple Angels sometime, email Myrna Norman at: the.normans@shaw.ca Watch Full Event HERE THE POWER OF SUPPORT FROM OUR FAITH & CULTURE GROUPS Shared values and perspectives Reverend Deborah Liang has been a minister in the United Church of Canada for 37 years, the last four at Pacific Spirit Kerrisdale. She's seen how good communities gather around people in both their joys and troubles, contributing immensely to their quality of life. She also served as chaplain at a rural hospital and learned so much from nurses and program staff there about support, respect and care for people with dementia. Watch Full Event HERE RESPONDING TO DEMENTIA THROUGH A CROSS-CULTURAL LENS Shared values and perspectives One Vancouver man who has been advocating for the treatment and care of people with dementia ever since his dementia diagnosis over a decade ago, discusses how dementia is viewed through various cultural lenses. He explains how those lenses affect families' and individual's responses to diagnosis and decisions around treatment. Watch Full Event HERE TRUSTING OUR SENSE OF SELF ABOVE ALL ELSE Shared values and perspectives BC artist and dementia advocate Granville Johnson talks about the importance of trusting one's sense of self above all else when living with dementia. "The world might not know we're capable, but we can know it and live it and continue to pursue our dreams." Johnson lives in remote part of British Columbia where he's currently working on a novel. Watch Full Event HERE ON BRAVERY AND THE POWER OF SHARING OUR STORY Shared values and perspectives When Lester was first diagnosed with dementia, he and his wife and care partner Cindy found that some of their friends and family reacted with disbelief. Others weren't sure how to talk to him. Sharing the Flipping Stigma toolkit with their church and social communities gave the couple a chance to contextualize dementia for those who didn't know much about it. The toolkit allayed fears, provided reassurance, and ultimately resulted in Lester AND Cindy feeling they could open up more about his diagnosis, feel less shame, and share more of their journey with the people they cared about. The toolkit helped them feel much more deeply understood. Watch Full Event HERE HOW FOCUSING ON A PURPOSE BUILDS RESILIENCE Bill Heibein's journey with dementia. Bill Heibein continues to live on the farm he shared with his late wife Heather just outside Kakabeka Falls, Ontario. When he was diagnosed with dementia in 2000, doctors told him he'd have about five more years to live "usefully". Twenty-two years later, he has proven them wrong. In addition to caring for his horses, Bill volunteers as an advocate with the Northwest Dementia Working Group, helps run Dementia Cafes in the community, and is passionate about encouraging others with lived experience to get involved, advocate for themselves, and find purpose. Bill says it's that deep sense of purpose that's fuelled his ability to thrive with dementia for so long, and he's confident others can do the same. Watch Full Event HERE MAPPING DEMENTIA-FRIENDLY CULTURE A community works together to be more inclusive. When COVID-19 threatened to halt all their efforts in their tracks, Andrea Sara and her team found was to move online, gather virtually, solve problems, and dream big anyway. They worried for seniors who'd been hit particularly hard by increased isolation and wanted to ensure everyone in their community felt seen and supported. So, they went outside. They sought out "soothing spaces" where they could "feel safe socializing". That's how the Fireweed Club came to be. These days the DRA has its hand in so many wonderful initiatives, all which support inclusion, environmental awareness, and social engagement. Watch Full Event HERE ON THE VALUE OF INTERGENERATIONAL CONNECTION ... Dementia Educator and community advocate Helen Murphy has dedicated her career to making the North Shore and surrounding communities more dementia-friendly. She provides training for North Shore organizations, speaks to community groups, and volunteers in developing new programs and opportunities for people with dementia to live better lives in a community that is "wise, inclusive and socially integrated". Watch Full Event HERE THE NEED FOR PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN ADVOCACY ROLES ... The Building Capacity Project team in Thunder Bay, Ontario partners with the Northwest Dementia Working Group on a number of fantastic community initiatives. The team is very grateful to the NWDWG members who have volunteered to help run some of their Dementia Cafes over the years, for instance, as these cafes are a great opportunity for people in the community to witness for themselves how important representation is, how much capacity there is among people with lived experience, and to be a apart of breaking down stigma. . CARE PARTNERS EMPOWERING PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA ... Lynn Jackson is an action group member with lived experience who played a key role in developing the Flipping Stigma Toolkit, a new online resource helping educate caregivers, people with lived experience, researchers, and the public at large about how to respond to stigma around dementia. Jackson talks about how important it is for care partners to empower people with dementia to stay engaged and active. Fostering autonomy while supporting someone with dementia works to maintain their sense of personhood. Treating them like they're sick makes them feel that way. Watch Full Event HERE AMPLIFYING DIVERSE VOICES: THE VALUE OF LIVED EXPERIENCE ... Dr. Elaine Wiersma of the Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health at Lakehead University talks about the need to amplify a wider cross section of voices when it comes to the lived experience of people with dementia. If our exposure of these experiences stays too narrow, we run the risk of silencing important wisdoms, staying uninformed as to the broad range of experiences, and keeping devastating stigmas alive. . ART AS A VEHICLE FOR CHANGE ... Art is a powerful vehicle for shifting perceptions and shaping culture. AND it's one way of letting your voice be heard when the words themselves might be too hard to say. Whether it's a poem, a collage, a painting, or a dance, the arts can be incredibly helpful and moving for people with dementia at all stages of their journey, and can help the public gain insight into their experience. .

CARE PARTNERS YOU can help reveal challenges that need to be addressed create activities that fit with your needs as well as those you care for offer ideas for innovative initiatives participate in community conversations To partners, relatives, friends or professionals regularly involved in providing care for a person living with dementia: Your voice is needed in planning and implementing activities that are feasible and engaging. Hub Partners would like to hear from you! Visit the Current Hub Partner Projects page to see which project is most attractive and contact the Partner sponsoring it

Become a partner Current Partners HUB COLLABORATION VALUES SENIORS LED T he Hub is led by seniors to best address the needs of seniors. It promotes a healthy aging process, recognizing that multiple generations and cohorts need different activities and supports. Seniors provide guidance on increasing the accessibility of seniors' programs and addressing the diversity of interests among seniors. COMMUNITY FOCUSED The overarching intention of the collaboration among Partner Organizations is to maximize benefits for the community and to leverage resources effectively, for example by seeking opportunities for funding support and innovative collaboration. The Hub relies on community engagement to address the needs and interests of diverse facets of the community. DIGNITY AND RESPECT The Hub operates on values of respect where everyone is treated with care and compassion. We aim to foster independence, self-esteem, dignity and empowerment for seniors and their families. BELONGING The Hub strives to create a sense of belonging and inclusion and provide opportunities to be connected and engaged in the community. OPENNESS The Hub Partner Organizations operate in a spirit of respect for each other and are clear and open about their intentions. They bring forward any issues that arise during the course of Hub work so that they can be addressed by the group. BECOME A PARTNER If you are a public, non-profit, or faith-based organization that serves seniors on Vancouver’s Westside, we would like to collaborate with you! WHAT VALUE DOES THE WESTSIDE SENIORS HUB OFFER? Inform seniors about Westside organizations that offer to keep them socially engaged, active and well-served Enable the sharing of information and resources among Hub Partner Organizations , seniors and community entities Increase community awareness of seniors' issues and strengthen advocacy on behalf of seniors HOW CAN PARTNERING IN THE WESTSIDE SENIORS HUB BENEFIT MY ORGANIZATION? Enhance community awareness of your seniors’ programs and increase participation Learn from experiences and insights of other seniors' service providers Share ideas and solutions to improve seniors’ programs and services Amplify the voice of Westside seniors' service providers through the collective power of working together WHAT ARE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A HUB PARTNER ORGANIZATION? Support the goals and operation of the Westside Seniors Hub by attending quarterly meetings, sitting on working groups when possible, and providing advice and expertise to Council and the public when requested Respond to requests for information to profile their organization in Hub communications (website, HubBytes) Share ideas, successes, and challenges at quarterly Partner meetings Disseminate information from Partner meetings within your organization Promote the network of Partner Organizations and make referrals where appropriate Partners meet quarterly and communicate via email between meetings. Partners are encouraged to join working groups relevant to their work and offer space, resources and guidance to help the Council and volunteers in their efforts. Contact us to become a partner ABOUT HUB PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS A growing network of non-profit, faith-based and pubic organizations that serve seniors on the Westside have become Hub Partners . They share Hub collaboration values in supporting seniors in their communit y. Partner representatives meet quarterly to share information about resources and assets, identify emerging issues, and collaborate on building a range of integrated services for seniors. Their representatives work with volunteer Hub Council members, represent the Hub to the public and various constituencies and may serve on working groups to act on identified issues. Hub brochure here Collaboration values Become a Partner

LATEST NEWS DUNBAR SENIORS' CAFE St. Philip's Anglican Church Join us at the Dunbar Seniors' Cafe for lively conversations and friendship. Hostesses Janet Brown, Sheryl Mackay, and Judy Poliquin provide. October 15th from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Read More GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR TENANT COMPLAINS IN BC HOUSING BC Housing BC Housing has introduced new guiding principles to improve tenant experiences and complaint resolution among non-profit housing providers. These principles provide insights into tenant feedback and highlight areas for service enhancement. Read More VANCOUVER'S SENIORS HOUSING INITIATIVE City of Vancouver - Shape your City The City of Vancouver is launching the Social Housing Initiative to address affordable housing needs by modifying zoning regulations for mixed-income social, supportive, and cooperative housing without requiring rezoning. Read More FORGOTTEN RIGHTS - SENIORS NOT AFFORDED EQUAL RENT PROTECTION Office of the Seniors Advocate British Columbia “Approximately 30,000 seniors live in independent living units throughout B.C., and they should be afforded the same protections as other renters …". Read More GRANT OPPORTUNITIES Welcome to our Grant Opportunities section for senior organizations! Here, you'll find essential information about grants to support programs and services for seniors. Explore these opportunities to empower organization and make a positive impact in the community! VCH’s One-Time-Only Health Promotion and Capacity Building Project Grants (OTO) are for projects that are one-time-only in nature and intent, and that lead to greater equity in wellness by building on a community’s social, environmental, cultural, and economic foundations. Read more Funding for not-for-profit organizations, registered charities, and Indigenous partners. Funds help to plan, undertake and share research related to affordable housing in Canada. tage 1 applications must be submitted by September 27, 2024, at 2 p.m. Read more The goal of the PlanH Program is to support Indigenous and local governments, including health authorities, to advance policies, and strategies aimed at improving health equity, and well-being. Read more

RESOURCES The Hub encourages everyone to know about Help Lines that provide credible information to callers with questions and concerns. Help Lines DEMENTIA VENTURES RESOURCES We also provide selected resources here for Dementia Ventures , since that is the Hub's focus in 2020-2023. Understanding & living with dementia Guides for inclusive Programming Tools for Engagement Research Reports & Data