Age Friendly Community Initiative tackles seniors’ transportation challenges

Nelson CARES Society’s Age Friendly Community Initiative today released the Moving Together Project report, which details a plan for improving seniors’ transportation access in the Kootenay Boundary region.

Moving Together: a collaborative approach to addressing seniors transportation barriers looked at the wide variety of transportation options available to Kootenay seniors, including Transit, HandyDART, and volunteer driver programs, as well as co-operative and private transportation providers.

Over the past year, the Moving Together project succeeded in engaging key stakeholders and opening a collaborative dialogue. Specific service gaps and barriers were identified and recommendations drafted to address them. In January of this year, a Stakeholders Gathering brought together seniors, community organizations, transportation service providers and decision-makers from throughout the province. The project findings were presented and the stakeholders worked together to identify the most promising recommendations and generate ideas for making them a reality.

Developing a network of transportation services that meet seniors’ diverse needs across the region is challenging but not impossible. By working collaboratively across sectors we can develop innovative solutions that draw on best practices and build on our strengths. The next phase of the Moving Together project focuses on implementation of the proposed recommendations. Ultimately, the project creators aim to enhance existing community resources so that they better meet the needs of vulnerable seniors and prepare communities for the growing senior population throughout the region.

For more information about the project or the Age Friendly Community Initiative, contact Corrine at 250-352-2708, ext. 11 or seniorsproject@nelsoncares.ca A limited number of print copies of the Moving Together Report are available at Nelson CARES, 521 Vernon.

The report can be viewed and downloaded by clicking on the PDF icon: