Paige Desmond
The Rainy River District Mental Health Services for Older Adults program is hoping its new calendar will get the message of safety out to local seniors.
Distributed last week at Safeway here, the calendar combines children’s artwork with safety messages that apply specifically to seniors.
“The response has been extremely positive once again,” enthused Sandy Skirten.
The calendar has been in the works since the spring, when program staff went into district elementary schools to teach kids about respect for seniors.
Topics such as elder abuse were discussed with the kids—a new perspective on the lessons they already learn about bullying.
“It kind of put the twist on with them in regards to their learning of bullying,” Skirten elaborated.
Gerri Yerxa, who talked to Grade 5 students at Robert Moore School, summed up the message by saying, “Just as children get bullied, seniors get bullied.”
She added students responded well to the message, as well as to a video shown entitled “Seniors are cool.”
The goal of the video was to highlight the many activities seniors are involved in, and to shoot down stereotypes of the elderly as disabled, frail, and inactive.
“We tried to really look at dispelling some of the myths,” Yerxa stressed. “We had a dialogue with the kids.”
Following the discussions, the students were challenged to create posters addressing the issues program presenters had brought to light, emphasizing positive messages about older adults.
The posters then were entered into a competition to become artwork for the calendar.
“The artwork was phenomenal,” lauded Skirten. “Many seniors are commenting that that’s what they like about [the calendar].”
The submissions were judged by members of the District Mental Health Services for Older Adults Program’s advisory committee, with a total of 33 posters being selected, including 12 honourable mentions.
With messages such as “Abuse hurts at any age” and “Seniors rock!” the colourful posters touch on sophisticated messages to combine with a health or safety tip each month. Other safety information and advice is located at the front of the calendar.
Indeed, the need for awareness of seniors’ health and safety issues is particularly relevant in the district, with the 2006 census showing almost 30 percent of Fort Frances residents are over the age of 55.
The intergenerational component of the calendar, and the talks given at district elementary schools, will help to cement respect for the aging population—something both Skirten and Yerxa are very pleased with.
“It was just an excellent opportunity to be in the classrooms,” Yerxa enthused. “The kids were really excited.”
During the presentations, Yerxa found the students had great suggestions of how they could help out grandparents or elderly neighbours. Some suggested taking out their garbage or playing chess, a development which took Yerxa by pleasant surprise when she learned “that they would be interested in doing those kinds of things with an older person.”
This is the second time the local Older Adults Program has produced a calendar (the last time being in 2006).
The 7,000 printed copies of Seniors’ Safety Calendar 2009 were made possible through donations made in memory of the late Jean Lambert. She was a dedicated supporter and volunteer for the Older Adults Program who also was a passionate advocate for seniors.
Copies of the calendar are being distributed throughout the district.
Skirten said anyone interested in getting a copy also can call the Older Adults Program at 274-9400, adding arrangements can be made to drop off a calendar for those unable to pick one up themselves.
