With Canada’s population of older adults on the rise, it’s more important than ever to explore innovations that can transform senior residences.
To that end, United Active Living held its annual Innovation Fair this week at its Garrison Green community to showcase potential solutions from their frontline staff.
The fair “provides us with ideas on how we can enhance the experience of living and working at a United community,” says director of Innovation in Aging, Jamie Fewchuk.
The ideas brought forward are powerful because they come from people who work with seniors at the residence every day, Fewchuk said. It not only leads to a myriad of useful ideas; it also empowers those who work with seniors.
“Our frontline team is really the driving force behind meaningful innovation because they are on the ground every day,” she said. “They see and interact with the residents and so they know how to improve the way that we do things.”
Twenty-six entries from staff were received for the fair and the top 10 were showcased Wednesday before a panel of judges including Jocelyn Rempel, chair of Older Adult Health at Mount Royal University; Barb Ferguson, executive director of the Alzheimer Society of Calgary; MLA Samir Kayande; and United’s president and CEO Kim O’Brien.
Top 10 ideas included a check-in/check-out kiosk for residents and visitors, which could help staff monitor residents for issues such as social isolation, and an expansion of a software system for housekeeping staff that could enhance personalized delivery of service.
The fair’s winning idea — from chef Hunter Young and marketing team member Angelina Elia — focused on a culinary showcase, in which United chefs could work with residents to create a cooking show. The idea will be implemented down the road.
Regarding Canada’s senior population, Statistics Canada notes that almost one in five adults is already 65 or older and this demographic is growing six times faster than the age group of children 15 and under.