Canadian Seniors Partnership Gathers Momentum
Finding new and innovative ways to better serve Canada's seniors created quite a buzz of excitement in Brockville, Ontario this past September at a national symposium organized by the Canadian Seniors Partnership. The Assistant Deputy Minister of our Department's Veterans Services Branch co-chairs the partnership which invites all levels of the government and the voluntary sector to work together on matters that are important to seniors, their families, caregivers and those who provide services to seniors. Here are some of the highlights from that groundbreaking conference.
Seniors Portal Wins Gold
During the symposium, participants learned about progress made on the
Collaborative Seniors Portal Network (www.seniors.gc.ca). The Network provides easy on-line access to information on services and programs offered
by all three levels of government that is of interest to seniors, their caregivers
and families, and those who provide services to seniors. The Network was first
launched in Brockville, Ontario, in October 2003. Feedback has been very
positive from seniors and seniors' organizations involved in designing the
Brockville connection to the Network. The portal will be extended over time
to include more municipalities across Canada.
In October 2004, the Collaborative Seniors Portal Network won a gold medal at GTEC 2004. This is a government conference that celebrates innovation in technology
in the public sector. The portal was selected from more than 100 nominations. A big Salute! to the folks who made it happen!
Next Steps
Various members of the Canadian Seniors Partnership, along with others who
attended the symposium, have decided to work together on three new projects:
- a case management tool that will make it easier for all levels of government
to work together so that seniors have better access to the various programs
and services they need;
- a project called National Computers for Seniors that will rebuild donated
computers to distribute to seniors and offer a call centre seniors can contact
for technical support; and
- a training initiative called Shifting Gears that will provide seniors with
important post-retirement information.
Want to Learn More?
You can visit www.seniorsinfo.ca to see the kinds of information and services that residents in and around Brockville now access on-line. To learn more about the Collaborative Seniors Portal Network, visit www.seniors.gc.ca. Here you will also find valuable tools and advice for all Canadian seniors including:
- an on-line link to allow you to view and print copies of your Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan tax information slips;
- information on retirement matters; and
- advice on what to do when someone you love passes away.
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