How Age-Friendly is Halifax
The World Health Organization Age-Friendly Cities project, co-sponsored by the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors and Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), and conducted by the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging set out to discover the answer to that question during the winter of 2007.
Older persons from a variety of different areas of HRM identified a number of positive characteristics that make living in this city enjoyable for older persons, particularly for those who are reasonably healthy and mobile. For one, compared to larger urban areas such as Toronto or Montreal, Halifax is a relatively small city which offers a comparatively relaxed pace of life while providing a variety of opportunities for social participation. Seniors praise the city’s parks, the wide array of seniors’ clubs and organizations, the thriving arts and theatrical community, and the public library system which provides many outreach services to older persons. They also report that it is reasonably easy to move around the city, thanks to the accessibility of most public buildings (the exception being some of the older buildings in the downtown core). They note, however, that more benches and washrooms are needed in public spaces, particularly shopping centres, and that benches need to be higher to make it easier for those who have difficulty standing up.
Two environmental factors in services provided by the province. Halifax - winter weather and the city’s hilly topography - both play a significant part in making it more difficult for seniors to socialize, get exercise, get to appointments, and to run errands.
But not all seniors find it easy to navigate the city. The shortage of parking spaces for persons with disabilities, especially near health care facilities, is a key concern, as is the cost of parking. Crosswalk lights do not allow enough time to cross, and there is a need for more crosswalks with audible signals. Sidewalk maintenance in winter is also a source of anxiety for seniors as they try to navigate icy sidewalks and curb cuts full of snow. While the city is lauded for the increasing number of Accessible Low Floor (ALF) buses in its transit system, older persons report concerns over bus driver insensitivity to their needs, and inconveniences associated with the scheduling of the accessible bus system. And - location, location, location! Two environmental factors in Halifax - winter weather and the city’s hilly topography - both play a significant part in making it more difficult for seniors to socialize, get exercise, get to appointments, and to run errands. This has implications for their ability to enjoy reasonably healthy and active lives while remaining in their own homes. In response to some or several of these challenges, many seniors simply choose to remain indoors for much of the winter, reducing their quality of life.
Seniors praise the city’s parks, the wide array of seniors’ clubs and organizations, the thriving arts and theatrical community, and the public library system.
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The rising costs associated with living in Halifax are a concern for many seniors, who are typically on a fixed income. Increasing property taxes, maintenance, and the expenses involved in retrofitting homes for disability are just a few of the concerns for home-owning seniors. The lack of adequate seniors’ housing, at all levels of care, and lengthy wait times are also worrisome, especially for those with disabilities and for caregivers who are trying to find housing for family members. While the province’s Continuing Care system offers health and social supports to seniors who want to remain in their homes, seniors report that the quality and quantity of care is significantly dependent upon seniors' ability to pay.
While seniors have a variety of ways of accessing information in Metro - local radio and television stations, community newsletters, and the internet – knowing where to look can be a challenge. And seniors were unanimous in their dislike of automated phone systems used by governments and the small print used in many government publications.
But seniors offered a number of suggestions regarding how Halifax might be made more age-friendly, including:
- the creation of more parking spaces, particularly parking for persons with disabilities
- the ability to claim parking expenses related to care giving
- the lengthening of signal times related to crosswalks and/or the addition of a pedestrian-only signal light
- the addition of more benches and washrooms in public spaces, particularly shopping centres
- the creation of more seniors' housing at all levels
- sensitivity training for bus drivers
- improvement in the number of accessible buses and the enhancement of the flexibility of its scheduling
- the inclusion of vital senior-specific information with yearly property tax bill
- the provision of relevant information in large-print from all provincial, federal and municipal governments
- improvements to the Continuing Care services provided by the province.
Halifax is a relatively small city which offers a comparatively relaxed pace of life...
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Through the Age-Friendly Cities Project, seniors indicated that despite its many age-friendly characteristics, Halifax Regional Municipality has some work to do before it is a truly welcoming place for them. But they didn’t just leave things there. Their suggestions have laid a foundation that can be used by planners at different levels of government as strategies are formulated to help cities and communities like HRM become even more age-friendly.
Age-Friendly Cities Report - PDF