Allied and Partner Organizations

The Canadian Centre for Elder Law is dedicated to improving the lives of older adults in their relationship to the law. In July 2003, the B.C. Law Institute formally established the Canadian Centre for Elder Law. The mandate of the CCEL includes research, law reform, and education relating to legal issues of interest to older adults. Today, the CCEL is recognized for its expertise in Elder Law issues both in Canada and internationally.The objectives of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law are: to enrich and inform the lives of older adults with the law; to meet the increasing need for legal education and research in relation to legal issues having particular significance for older adults; and, to serve as a national focal point for this emergent field. To current knowledge, it appears to be the only such Centre in the world and is currently serving as a model of interest for several other countries.

AGE-WELL NCE (Aging Gracefully across Environments using Technology to Support Wellness, Engagement and Long Life NCE Inc.) is Canada’s technology and aging network. AGE-WELL is dedicated to the creation of technologies and services that benefit older adults and caregivers. Our aim is to help older Canadians maintain their independence, health and quality of life through technologies and services that increase their safety and security, support their independent living, and enhance their social participation.

The mission of the University of Alberta's Medically At-Risk Driver Centre (MARD) is to enhance the safety and mobility of individuals who no longer drive due to illness or disability or who choose not to drive because of age-related changes.

The FCSSAA is an incorporated non-profit society. In 2019, 185 of the 206 FCSS programs in the province are members of the FCSSAA. The Association provides the following services to FCSS Programs across Alberta:

• Strengthen and maintain a structured system of networking and sharing of information and expertise amongst communities, boards and staffs.
• Investigate and pursue common issues and concerns affecting municipal preventive social programs and those boards duly appointed by a local authority to administer such programs.
• Advocate on behalf of local communities and programs to the general public, municipal governments, regional service/government bodies, provincial agencies and authorities and national agencies and authorities.
• Provide orientation and education to individuals, communities, boards and staff via conferences, training events, newsletters and information included in the Resource Bank.
• Provide, where possible, assistance regarding concerns or issues of a local or regional nature, and when specifically requested, to individual FCSS boards or other boards to be appointed by local authorities to provide preventive social programs.
• Develop critical tools to assist communities and programs to meet local mandates and needs.

Established in 2000, the Elders’ Wisdom Circle provides an opportunity for Indigenous Elders from each member Friendship Centre to join together to support the ongoing efforts of the Friendship Centre Movement in Alberta. The Elders’ Wisdom Circle plays an important cultural role in our urban landscape; their common voice helps bring clarity to difficult situations and their traditional knowledge and wisdom benefits youth, staff and board discussions alike. The Elders’ Wisdom Circle provides support on issues as they relate to culture, programming and organizational direction. The EWC increases opportunities for Elders to engage and interact with youth, to access training and educational opportunities as they relate to current and emerging issues, and to honour and infuse the ongoing value of traditional culture in daily life.

The Covenant Health Network of Excellence in Seniors’ Health and Wellness exists to build Alberta’s capacity to support seniors better. It gives seniors a voice to define what ‘better’ looks like and engages families, care professionals, academics, and communities in shaping philosophies of care; advocating for seniors’ needs; and designing, testing and spreading innovative approaches to address these needs. As part of Covenant Health, the Network evaluates ideas across the full spectrum of supports and care for seniors from independent living to acute and continuing care services.

Caregivers Alberta is an organization of caregivers, for caregivers. They focus on the caregiver as an individual – helping them maintain their well-being rather than teaching them how to be better caregivers. As Alberta’s only dedicated caregiver organization, we improve the lives of Alberta’s caregivers by:

• Providing group and one-on-one supports that help caregivers connect with others, navigate the system and look after themselves while providing care.
• Increasing communities’ capacity to support caregivers by educating professionals, promoting networking and referrals, and sharing programs
• Advocating for policy changes that will make a difference in caregivers’ lives

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is a recognizable and reliable organization where Albertans find compassionate support, responsible care and accessible resources. For more than 60 years in Alberta, CMHA has focused on recovery and support for Albertans impacted by mental illness. Hundreds of CMHA staff and volunteers engage clients in activity and navigation within the complex matrix of mental health services.

The Brenda Strafford Centre on Aging aims to enhance the health of seniors and better inform public policy with regard to seniors’ issues through coordinated research, teaching and learning, and community outreach efforts. The Centre will serve as an administrative and collaborative hub for University of Calgary aging research and interdisciplinary educational programming undertaken by the faculties of Kinesiology, Medicine, Nursing, Social Work and others as the Centre grows.