COSTI’s Seniors’ Services effectively engage and involve this fast growing segment of our community through recreational, educational and cultural activities, as well as supportive counselling. Our goal is to ensure that the needs of seniors are met by providing them, their families and caregivers, with resources and safe spaces that support active and healthy aging in the community. Our programming is designed to address their physical and mental health needs, emotional well-being and social supports.

The integration of technology in the delivery of seniors’ services continued to be a focus in 2020/21, ensuring that we maintained contact with the seniors and engaged them in activities and workshops that stimulated them and allowed them to interact with their friends. However, isolated and at home, many families felt the impact of COVID-19, as they saw their parents and grandparents slowly decline both emotionally and physically.

In our efforts to reduce social isolation, COSTI will be developing educational workshops to teach seniors to engage in social interactions through mobile devices such as iPads and digital applications, including YouTube and Zoom. We will continue to stay connected with our clients via a free interactive telephone-based group activity program Seniors’ Centre Without Walls. In addition, the seniors will continue to receive telephone reassurance calls and monthly bulletins.

COSTI believes that older adult immigrants deserve to continue to live enriched lives. Many came to Canada as young adults dreaming of a better life for their children. They helped build a stronger Canada, contributing to a successful economy. As this demographic continues to grow, so must our ability to respond.