Helping seniors stay active and engaged has earned Harrison Hot Springs Age-friendly BC Recognition from the province.
The community has received a letter of congratulations, an Age-friendly BC Recognition poster, and $1,000 to create a legacy project or celebration.
The Age-friendly BC recognition Program is a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the BC Healthy Communities Society. BC Health Minister Terry Lake stated that, “When a community’s focus us on making age-friendly improvements, it makes a big difference in helping seniors stay healthy and independent.”
The age friendly community recognizes the wide range of capacities and resources among people of all ages. It anticipates and responds flexibly to aging related needs and preferences, and respects decisions and lifestyle choices of older adults. Ideally, all members of the community should be engaged in exploring age-friendliness. Many features that benefit older adults can also benefit other groups in the community. It’s good for people and it’s good for business.
The Harrison Hot Springs Age-friendly Advisory Committee held their second meeting July 6, where they discussed how to use the $1,000 award from the Ministry of Health, which celebrates the community’s new age-friendly designation.
The group discussed how to best utilize the grant money in order to share the objectives of the committee, receive advice from the community, and encourage participation in continuing development the Village of Harrison Hot Springs as an effective and vibrant age-friendly community.
Committee members are currently applying for a federal grant through the New-Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP). If successful, the annual grant will help the community fund local age-friendly projects and initiatives.
The committee’s first and foremost objective is to communicate their intentions and receive feedback from all community members. The next regular committee meeting is scheduled form Wednesday, September 7 at 10:00 a.m. in the Village office. Everyone is encouraged to attend and share their ideas.