Point Edward, ON – To support the largest growing demographic in Lambton County, adults 55 and older, Lambton Public Health partnered with Age-Friendly Sarnia-Lambton and the Older Adult Care Pathway Steering Committee to develop an age-friendly e-learning certificate course.

The Age-Friendly Best Practice for Businesses and Service Providers course is a result of the Inclusive Communities Grant from the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility received in 2021. The goal of the e-learning program is to educate staff and volunteers on providing inclusive client and customer service based on the needs of an aging population.

“Based on a community-wide survey also completed as part of the Inclusive Communities Grant, we were able to identify barriers for older adults, caregivers, and service providers from their own experience and perspectives,” says Amy Weiler, Community Engagement Specialist and Age-Friendly Coordinator at Lambton Elderly Outreach. “Using this data, we have created an e-learning program to address and encourage change in the workforce to be more inclusive of the needs of an aging population.”

This includes best practices to age-friendly environments, interactions, and system navigation improvements. Community partners worked in collaboration to develop and deliver this to businesses and services providers throughout Sarnia-Lambton.

“The course is an easy and informative way for organizations to embed a healthy aging lens into the delivery of programs and services in our community,” says Anita Trusler, Health Promotion Supervisor at Lambton Public Health. “The resources and assessment tools included in the course will help support the needs of our aging population. It’s free and you can complete each chapter at your own pace!”

Position your company to serve this growing market group and learn how to incorporate the Age-Friendly Best Practice for Businesses and Service Providers course into your workplace by attending the virtual course launch event on Tuesday March 22, 2022 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  For more information or to sign up for this event visit: https://bit.ly/age-friendly-training.

For more information about Age-Friendly Services and Supports in Lambton County, go to https://www.agefriendlysarnialambton.ca/.

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Please contact:

LPH-media-inquiries@county-lambton.on.ca

Resource:

Poster – Virtual Launch: Introducing New Age-Friendly E-Certificate Course