Strap In and Hang On: May is Gonna Be Busy!
We have so much to share with you! As usual, this is a busy time of year at BC CRN and thrown right in the midst of it is our new Executive Director, Heather Treleaven. Good thing she’s a fast learner! Another person to meet is Dan Levitt, BC’s new Seniors Advocate, when he joins us for this month’s Provincial Learning Event on May 21.
Emergency Preparedness Week is May 5-11. Our first feature story shares planning tips and a checklist to ensure seniors are well prepared. Red Dress Day is May 5, a time to reflect on Canada’s missing and murdered women, girls and two-spirit people. Read our story that offers educational and awareness resources about the crisis affecting Indigenous elders, their families and communities.
Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia Day of Awareness is on May 17. We’ve dug into the issue of the systemic adult abuse that many LGBTQ2+ seniors experience while in social service and healthcare settings. Our story has lots of resources to help educate team members and for leaders to make their organizations more welcoming and inclusive.
So strap in, grab a cup of tea and read on. And then, June begins with BC Seniors’ Week and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). Did we say hang on?
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BC CRN Spotlight: Welcome to Heather Treleaven, Executive Director
BC CRN welcomes Heather Treleaven as the new Executive Director. Heather joins the BC CRN after leading the Seniors Network Society of Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows for the past 14 years. In her role there, she avidly supported the development and work of the local CRN and saw firsthand the value of its grassroots initiatives to create a coordinated community response to adult abuse, neglect and self-neglect.
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BC CRN Spotlight: Heather von Ilberg Poem, A CRN
This Spotlight features a lovely poem about what a CRN is. The poem was penned 10 years ago by Heather von Ilberg, Regional Mentor for West Kootenay/Boundary, as part of a CRN event. We quite enjoyed reading this and we think you will too!
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Healing, Resource Referrals and Workshops
April showers bring May flowers.. on the ground and in the trees – signs that summer is around the corner are popping up all over the province. Our CRNs have been busy bees with many community events and workshops in April.
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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: WEAAD |
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BC CRN WEAAD 2024 Resources & Materials Available Now!
The countdown has begun to prepare for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2024. This year June 15 falls on a Saturday and the slogan for this year’s event is “Age with Attitude”. BC CRN has received a new shipment of information and resource materials with a new look just in time to order for your event. We have also included digital resources to download for use on social media.
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New Resource Materials Added to Inventory
BC CRN is pleased to announce the addition of new resource and informational materials that are now available to order online. We have updated our programs rack card and created new personal planning rack cards and wallet cards. Requests are processed in the order they are received and we recommend that you place your order at least 4 weeks in advance of your required delivery date to ensure materials arrive in time for your scheduled event or activity.
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Tech Tips: Get Social for WEAAD 2024
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is on Saturday, June 15, 2024. The slogan for this year’s event is “Age with Attitude”. Here are a couple tech tips to get you ready to share and tag your event on social media, posters and banners.
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Emergency Preparedness: Keep Seniors Safe with Good Planning
Are you and those in your care ready for an emergency such as a flood, wildfire, earthquake, or power outage? Is there an emergency plan and an emergency kit ready to allow each person in the home to be self-sufficient for at least three days? Emergency Preparedness Week is May 5 to 11 in 2024 and is a great time to learn about getting prepared for emergencies.
The Red Cross recommends three considerations in emergency preparedness: know the risks, make a plan and assemble an emergency kit.
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Systemic Elder Abuse: Is Your Organization Welcoming to LGBTQ2+ Seniors?
Many LGBTQ2+ seniors fear they will need to go back in the closet – hide their sexual orientation or moderate their gender expression – to receive quality health care, home support, or long-term care. Stigma, homophobia, violence and imprisonment still haunt older LGBTQ2+ seniors. Education is needed to battle systemic discrimination and raise their quality of life. And if you think you don’t know any LGBTQ2+ seniors, you might be surprised.
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What is Red Dress Day? How MMIWG2S+ are honoured on May 5, 2024
Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims, and 11% of missing women. May 5 is Red Dress Day in Canada and the U.S., also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit+ (MMIWG2S). Started in 2010 by Métis artist Jaime Black, Red Dress Day is a movement to educate and raise awareness of the systemic injustices that contribute to violence against Indigenous women and girls.
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Provincial Learning Event: Dan Levitt, New Seniors Advocate
May 21, 2024 | 10:30 am - 12:00 pm PST
Dan Levitt has tirelessly championed the rights of seniors for 30 years at the local, provincial, national and international levels. He joined the Office of the Seniors Advocate in March, with a goal for every senior and their family or caregiver to be able to exercise their agency to access the supports and services they need.
Prior to his appointment as BC’s Seniors Advocate, Dan held leadership positions in senior-living and long-term care homes in the Lower Mainland for more than 10 years where he helped shape a dementia-friendly future for seniors and their loved ones. He is an adjunct professor of gerontology at both Simon Fraser University and a former sessional instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He has also been a surveyor with Accreditation Canada, reviewing quality improvement and person-centred care at long-term care homes and community-based service providers across the country.
Learn more about Dan and the work he is planning as the new Seniors Advocate.
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Spotlight on Ageism
May 7, 2024 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PST
You are invited to attend this online presentation. Ageism is highly prevalent and is the most socially accepted and tolerated form of discrimination in Canada. Like sexism or racism, ageism is discrimination – based on someone’s age. Ageism can occur at any point in our lifespan – regardless of how old we are – and may lead to others making judgements about our background, capability, mental or physical status, based only on their impression of our age.
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World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) – National Webinar Event
June 12, 2024 | 9:30 am - 11:00 am PST
We invite individuals of all ages to join the National WEAAD Virtual event. We all have a role to play in protecting the rights of older people. There are a few easy ways you can participate in WEAAD, joining the movement to end elder abuse in Canada once and for all. No matter where you live in Canada, you can be part of this shared journey to create a safe and supportive society.
Secure your seat now, as space is limited, and share widely with your networks!
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We're interested in hearing from you!
We welcome your feedback, story ideas, and photos for consideration in a future edition. Email us at info@bccrns.ca.
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BC CRN acknowledges the generous financial support of the Province of British Columbia.
For more on the BC CRN and our free programs, visit us at | bccrns.ca.
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