HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1978-11-16, Page 9Rural Development Outreach Project
UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
Huron towns have 15 percent or better
Need to plan for senior citizensPercentage of population over 65 years of age in
Ontario, Canada, and selected rural communities in
Huron, Perth, Wellington, and Bruce Counties as com
piled by the Rural Development Outreach Project,
University of Guelph.
WELLINGTON COUNTY
Clifford............... ■■■■■ W%
Mt. Forest.......... ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ 20%
Palmerston.......... ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■I 21 %
Harriston............. ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ 23%
BRUCE COUNTY
Kincardine..........
Walkerton..........
Teeswater..........
Lucknow .............
14%
15%
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DRUGS.
Figures on population
trends point up the urgent
need for priority on planning
to meet the housing,
medical, transportation and
other social needs of senior
citizens in small towns and
villages. The indications,
are, however, that the
problems now being met in
smaller centres will be
more general within 25
years.
Present efforts to meet
those needs in smaller cen
tres should help in dealing
with problems that will
arise in larger centres as
their percentage of senior
citizens increases.
Towns like Exeter, Clin
ton, Listowel, Wingham,
Mitchell, Harriston, and
Lucknow have between 15
per cent and 24 per cent of
their population over the age
of 65.
By comparison, local
townships range between
seven and 12 per cent senior
citizens, and cities like
Mississauga are as low as
four per cent. In Canada as a
whole, just nine per cent of
the population is over the
age of 65.
Experts tell us that by the
year 2001 the national
percentage of senior citizens
will be about 12 per cent,
and by 2031 it is expected to
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reach 20 per cent.
The Rural Development
Outreach Project
(R.D.O.P.) of the Universi
ty of Guelph, which is work
ing in the local area, has
met with local agency per
sonnel who suggest that a
comprehensive study of the
needs, concerns, and expec
tations of senior citizens
should help provide im
mediate answers for the
local community. At the
same time, they expect such
efforts to point the way for
future planning to meet the
needs of Canada’s elderly.
Dashwood
Continued from page 8
Dave Rader, Stacey and
Derek, Sunday.
Seventeen members of
Zion Lutheran church aU
tended the Lutheran
Laymen’s League fall rally
at St. Mathew Lutheran
church, Stratford, Sunday.
Mrs. Frieda Bruer, Port
Credit, Mrs. Susan Snider,
Bluewater Rest Home are
spending some time with Mr.
& Mrs. Harold Schroeder.
Saturday was Mrs. Snider’s
92nd birthday and a birthday
supper was held with other
guests Mr. & Mrs. Armin
Bruer, Port Credit and Mrs.
Maggie Nadiger and Helen.
Callers Saturday night were
Mr. & Mrs. Melvin Stade.
The Rural Development
Outreach Project has
already begun to ac
cumulate information on the
elderly in parts of Huron
County, and plans to con
tinue in the hope of
providing a clearer un
derstanding of the problems
of an aging population in a
rural area. The facts and
opinions already gathered
have confirmed the view
that an emphasis on the
needs and concerns of senior
citizens would be an ap
propriate and useful way for
the University of Guelph to
support rural development
in Huron County, and indeed
throughout the province.
The preliminary efforts
show clearly that the
problems relating to quality
of life for the elderly in a
rural community are many.
Finding solutions will de
mand co-ordinated and con
certed effort.
Here are some of the fin
dings to date:
Retired citizens attending
a workshop on the elderly,
sponsored by the R.D.O.P.
of the University of Guelph,
identified the following dif
ficulties facing seniors in a
rural area:
Changes in _ the rural
pattern of living were seen
as factors which affected all
parts of society but created
special problems for senior
citizens who often found it
difficult to change and adapt
to them.
Lack of communication
with other seniors was
observed as an alienating
factor and contributed to
feelings of isolation.
While improved health
facilities are available to the
community, seniors felt that
in some areas the lack of a
“local doctor” created an
uneasy situation for them.
Transportation is depen
dent in large part on the
wishes of others and at their
convenience - sometimes
vehicles, whether private or
public are not suitable to
seniors.
In a survey of the
Wingham and Turnberry
Township area, 20 per cent
of the seniors said they were
not satisfied with services
available. In the same sur
vey, answers indicated a
lack of transportation for
seniors, and a lack of infor
mation about services that
were available in the com
munity.
Local agency personnel
within the community have
outlined a number of areas
of concern to seniors. These
include:
Isolation and loneliness
were observed as predispos
ing factors to many types of
chronic illnesses.
No central information
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service for seniors exists.
Some assistance to persons
with disabilities is available
from various service clubs;
however, this information is
not always readily available
to the group in need.
Insufficient financial
resources resulting in un
satisfactory housing con
ditions and inadequate
nutritional level were felt to
be problems facing seniors.
Inadequacy of services
(gaps) and inefficiencies
due to distance were evi
dent.
The University of Guelph,
through its R.D.O.P. seeks
the help and involvement of
the widest possible cross
section of the community. It
will welcome all ideas and
support from interested
local citizens. Anyone who
wishes to assist or make
suggestions may contact the
agency by phoning Wingham
357-9911, or Guelph 824-4120,
extension 3637.
Mrs. George Tieman
spent the week end at
Waterdown with Mr. & Mrs.
Russell Hopcroft.
Smile!
When you were 20, you
kept busy planning for the
future; after 40, you keep
busy undoing the faulty
planning.
Times-Advocate, November 16, 1978 Page 9
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