Town of Bonnyville council heard a detailed presentation Tuesday from Age Friendly Cold Lake, with the organization outlining plans to expand more senior supports into Bonnyville and the surrounding region.

Executive director Cathy Aust told council the organization has been hearing from other communities that want access to the same model already operating in Cold Lake.

“People from different communities have reached out to us saying we really love your model. We would love to have those services in our community,” Aust said.

Age Friendly Cold Lake was incorporated in 2019 and supports seniors with services meant to help them age in place. During the presentation, Aust said the group focuses on practical gaps that other systems often cannot fill, especially in rural communities.

“Our mission is we support underserved seniors in Cold Lake and surrounding area with practical compassionate services that foster independence, dignity, and connection through every stage of aging,” she said.

The organization said it already works with the Bonnyville Health Care Centre and is providing some transportation services in the area. Aust told council it has completed 117 long-distance non-emergency medical transportation trips for seniors in the Town and MD of Bonnyville in recent years.

 

Transportation first, with more supports possible

The first priority in Bonnyville would be expanding transportation services, but Age Friendly Cold Lake also said it sees room to build other supports over time.

Those include the Hope Harbor dementia day program, caregiver support groups, frozen meals, volunteer visiting programs and eventually other offerings depending on need.

“We are starting out with the transportation program because it’s the one that is most essential,” Aust said.

Council asked several questions about how the service works, including what kind of vehicles are used for long-distance trips into larger centres.

Aust said volunteers either use their own vehicles or rent one, and clients can also be accompanied by an escort if needed.

“If a client needs to have an escort go with them beyond the driver because their cognitive abilities are quite minimal, not only do we send the driver, but we send an escort with them,” she said.

Councillor Phil Kushnir suggested the organization may also want to talk with Alberta Health Services about whether some non-life-threatening transfers could be handled outside the ambulance system.

“That’s a great idea,” Aust replied. “We’ll follow through with that for sure.”

 

Group says model was built by listening to seniors

Mayor Elisa Brosseau asked what makes the organization stand out from other agencies. Aust said the model grew directly from what seniors themselves said they needed.

“We built Age Friendly Cold Lake on what seniors came into us and said we need, not what we thought they needed,” she said. “They were telling us what they needed and they couldn’t get the help anywhere else.”

Aust also told council the group has become a leading example for rural senior support, with agencies in Alberta and beyond now asking for advice on how to build similar systems.

Council did not make a funding decision Tuesday, but accepted the presentation as information.

The organization said it is looking at regional growth involving Bonnyville, the MD of Bonnyville, Elk Point and St. Paul, with transportation seen as the most immediate need.