Kitchener, City of

The AFC work is led by municipal staff. Currently the committee has:

• Developed an Implementation Schedule for Kitchener’s Age-Friendly Action Plan.
• Developed an Age-Friendly Planning Lens for staff and Council to use in decision making.
• Received Age-Friendly Communities Recognition from Province – April 2018.
• Completed Progress Report for year one of Age-Friendly Kitchener Action Plan.

Current Actions and Areas of Focus Include:

• Age-Friendly Kitchener Staff Champions Committee – established to help move the Action Plan forward, track priorities and collaborate on grant opportunities.  The following areas are represented:  Corporate Communications & Marketing, Planning, Operations, Fire Department, Neighbourhood Programs & Services, and Sport.  Committee meets quarterly. 
• Urban Design Guidelines and Zoning Bylaws Review – Planning staff consulting with MACKS ensure an older adult perspective is included.
• Winter Sidewalk Maintenance Review and Snow Angels Program Recommendations – MACKS providing input to staff to ensure older adults receive adequate support to remove snow, remain active, engaged and safe throughout winter.
• Golf-Fore-Life (Dementia Friendly Golf Program) – Received the Ontario Sport and Recreation Grant to develop and implement a twice weekly golf program in partnership with municipal golf courses, to support golfers living with dementia to play twice weekly with staff/volunteer support.  All customer facing staff at the golf courses have received Dementia Friendly communities training in partnership with the Alzheimer Society of Waterloo Wellington.  
•  Transportation Training Program – Being developed in partnership municipal Age-Friendly representatives in Waterloo Region.
• Programming Needs Assessment for Ethno-Culturally Diverse Older Adults – Being conducted with older adults living in various Kitchener neighbourhoods.
• Leisure Access Service Review (fee assistance program for City run leisure activities) – MACKS providing input to staff to ensure older adults living with lower incomes are aware of the service and can access leisure programs to minimize isolation.

Outdoor Spaces and Public Buildings

• Urban Design Guidelines and Zoning Bylaws Review (Planning staff consulting with MACKS ensure an older adult perspective is included)
• Winter Sidewalk Maintenance Review and Snow Angels Program Recommendations (providing input to staff to ensure older adults receive adequate support to remove snow, remain active, engaged and safe throughout winter.)

Transportation

• Easy Ride Travel Training (In partnership with the Region of Waterloo, offer transit and LRT training workshops that are applicable to both transit users and drivers to educate and support older adults in navigating the local transportation system)
• Ride the Bus (In partnership with Age-Friendly Kitchener and Cambridge to offer ride the bus workshops)

Social Participation

• Free Try-Us Week 
• Programming Needs Assessment for Ethno-Culturally Diverse Older Adults
• Golf-Fore-Life (Dementia-friendly golf program)

Communication

• Older Adult Program Guide 

• City of Kitchener Age-Friendly Action Plan
• Age-Friendly Kitchener Action Plan 2018 Progress Report
• Age-Friendly Kitchener Action Plan 2020 Progress Report