[News] S.P.R.U.C.E marks Seniors' Week in Sundre with activities

SUNDRE – A local non-profit organization dedicated to providing older adults in the community with support is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Seniors’ Week in Alberta this week.

Jane Atkins, co-chair of Seniors Protected and Respected Under Community Engagement (S.P.R.U.C.E.), talked about plans with the Town of Sundre's council earlier this spring. 

S.P.R.U.C.E. was originally introduced in 2018 as a coordinated community response to raise awareness about the different forms of elder abuse. Over the years since, the program expanded and eventually became S.P.R.U.C.E.

“We now have an older adult case manager for elder abuse and a social prescribing link worker,” said Atkins, referring to Dallas Kinakin, who officially stepped into the new position last fall.

The society receives referrals for non-health related issues, with Atkins citing as an example helping to ensure a client gets their medication blister pack from the pharmacy.

A Link worker also bridges the gap between a patient’s physician and locally available resources, along the way helping older adults who have become socially isolated to break out of their shell by reconnecting them with the community and encouraging them to get involved in activities around town, she said.

“And if we find that a client doesn’t fit in a social (setting) anymore, we actually will refer them back to the health-care professional.”

Foundational to that effort is a strong community with a well-established network of partnerships that better improves the ability to integrate seniors. And facilitating that work was grant funding from Healthy Aging Alberta, she said.

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