Aging in Rocky View

Post date: Oct 10, 2013 4:8:9 PM

Week 3 question from Rocky View Weekly.

46.5% of Rocky View County 's population is 45 years or older. How will you help seniors stay in their communities as they age?

I have incredible respect for seniors. They have adapted to far greater change than us younger folks. The world was changed more by electricity, cars and television than by smart phones. Our elders have adapted to all of it. Early settlers did not just change villages; they crossed oceans. With that experience comes wisdom to make their own choices that we should value and respect.

Staying in our communities is not really about aging, it is about independence and living with disabilities and loss of mobility. Unfortunately these conditions come with a need for services that are concentrated in urban centers. Likewise, our gathering places for social interactions, crucial for health and well being, are most often in urban centers. Rocky View should partner with our urban neighbors for solutions in a similar fashion to the model used for recreational facilities. It would be poor planning to house a large number of people with disabilities far from emergency services.

Allowing temporary Accessory Dwelling units is a positive step to enable caregivers to live close enough to be helpful. Although it is outside RVC jurisdiction, the county should work with the province to make home care more viable in rural areas.