Maintaining an active lifestyle and being a part of the community are common values for many seniors and retirees.
When deciding where you want to settle down during your retirement years, it’s important to consider what services the community has to offer.
For the third segment of the Cochrane Eagle’s Aging in Place series, we look at some of the services available that allow seniors to stay active and connected in Cochrane.
A popular destination for people 50 years and older is the Seniors on the Bow Centre located in the Spray Lake Sawmill Family Sports Centre.
“We have fitness programs, we have socialization programs, we even started a jam session,” said Shannon Bannister, seniors programmer for the Town of Cochrane.
The programs offered by the centre are determined based on the needs of its members.
“At this point we have so much running all the time it comes down to when we can offer a new program,” Bannister said.
For example, the jam session started because of the suggestion of one the centre’s volunteers.
“It happens weekly on Wednesday afternoons and it’s just grown. It started with a few people coming in and bringing their instruments and now lots of people are coming in with theirs and other people just coming to watch them play,” Bannister explained.
The centre hires contracted workers with a fitness background for the various fitness classes it offers. Some of the classes offered are restorative yoga, Zumba gold, chair fitness, ballroom dancing and more.
The centre also offers programs such as euchre, qigong, movies, pool, and more.
The centre does face some accessibility issues as the building only has one elevator on the opposite side of where the centre is located. People without access to transportation also find it challenging to access the centre.
“What I’ve found is the reason people like joining the centre is that it gives them a social network. If they’re new to the community, they’re able to meet other like-minded people. And if they aren’t new, it’s always good to meet new friends,” Bannister said.
She said the centre also has a lot of volunteers as it’s a great way for people to connect and give back to the community at the same time.
For Vera Elson, the volunteer who leads the chair exercise class, the centre provides a way for her to use her experience and give back.
She finds the experience worthwhile because of the changes she’s seen in the participants.
“The exercise makes such a difference in mobility. If you have any arthritis problems, even if you exercise gently you get the movement and that makes a difference,” Elson said.
For another great volunteer opportunity, seniors can look to the Seniors for Kids Society. The society is a not-for-profit organization that promotes intergenerational relationships.
Starting as a mentoring program at Holy Spirit School more than 19 years ago, the society has expanded its operations to eight Cochrane and area schools.
“Our mandate is such that we meet the needs of students that don’t have grandparents that live in the area. We find a lot of families move here for work-related reasons and they just don’t have any connection with family here,” said Lynn Noble, the program co-ordinator for the society.
“Our programs are school-based and our mentors come in and meet with a local student for 45 minutes once a week during school hours,” Noble said.
The society is always looking for new volunteers as Noble explained the program has a waitlist of children looking to participate. Once a volunteer has passed a police check and performed an on-site visit to make sure they are a good fit with the society, the fun begins.
“What’s unique about our program too is that we have an on-site facilitator and they organize all the activities. We do environmental projects, crafts, board games – so our seniors just show up and have fun,” Noble explained.
The volunteers with the society range from those who are still working, those who have recently retired, and those who have been retired for many years – all the society asks for is volunteers with vibrant personalities.
Other volunteer opportunities and access to other programs can be found through the Town of Cochrane’s Family and Community Support Services.
“We try to keep people from being isolated, so we offer a variety of services here,” said Susan Flowers, manager of the Family and Community Support Services and social planning with the services.
Many seniors have already accessed the services’ Volunteer Income Tax Program, which allows people with low income to have their taxes filed for free. It also hosts workshops about wills and estates and helps the Cochrane Activettes run Meals for Your Freezer, which is based off of the Meals on Wheels from Calgary.
“We try to identify where there’s needs, and we heard the Big Hill Lodge were serving about 10 hot meals a day but they had a waitlist and they couldn’t do anymore. So we bring these frozen ones in,” Flowers explained.
The service can also act as a referral program to match seniors with the right services and programs.
