Please mark your calendar on Thursday, October 14th from 8:30 to 12:00 pm for a workshop on the Air Quality Health Index which will take place at Alderney Gate Public Library, 60 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth.

The Air Quality Health Index or “AQHI” is a scale from 1 to 10+ that measures outdoor air pollution in relation to health risk: the lower the number, the lower the risk. The AQHI is available for Halifax and for other communities in the province.

A focus of this workshop will be the implications of the AQHI for at-risk populations to air pollution, namely people with heart or lung conditions, seniors, children, and people physically active outdoors.

Please visit www.airhealth.ca to learn more about the AQHI or contact Daisy Kidston for more information:

Daisy Kidston
AQHI Project Coordinator
Nova Scotia Environment
(902) 722-1430
kidstoda@gov.ns.ca
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/aqhi

The Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia is hosting their 21st annual Provincial Conference this fall: Rising Tide, Navigating The Journey.

The Conference will be held October 18-19  at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth Nova Scotia.

From their brochure:

Goal
To provide participants with the latest in research, treatment and best practices that contribute to: health & wellness, care strategies, caregiving & support, and other relevant issues affecting persons with the disease and their families.

Conference Participants
This conference will be of special interest to anyone working in the field or caring for someone with dementia. This includes all care providers in continuing care, acute care, home support, educators, health professionals, researchers, families, students, volunteers and members of service organizations.

Click here for more information and registration.

The Adult Day Program Association of Nova Scotia, in conjunction with the Alzheimer’s Society of Nova Scotia is presenting a series designed for family caregivers of dementia patients. This series will include presentations, and interactive activities to help prepare family members for their new role

Who: Family members who are providing care and support to someone recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia (ADRD).
When: Wednesday evenings from Sept. 26-Nov. 3, 2010
Time: 6pm-8pm. Where: 10 Mount Hope Ave, Halifax NS . (Oakwood Terrace)
To Register: Call Andrea Leahey at 405-4400

The Government of Canada is now accepting applications to its Enabling Accessibility Fund:

The Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) supports community-based projects across Canada that improve accessibility, remove barriers, and enable Canadians with disabilities to participate in and contribute to their communities.

The Government of Canada is building on the success of this program for people with disabilities delivered from 2007 to 2010, by providing an additional $45 million over the next three years.

While EAF continues to provide funding for small projects, Budget 2010 expands eligibility for the program to include mid-sized projects. This enables communities to undertake larger retrofit projects and foster partnerships for creating new facilities. Mid-sized project funding is not available at this time.

Organizations may apply for funding only when there is an open call for proposals.

Click here for more information.

please join GANS  for our monthly, informal networking night -held the 2nd Tuesday of every month.

PLACE: Foggy Goggle, Argyle Street, Halifax

click to enlarge

TIME: 5PM

DATE: August 10

Short Topic : Aging in a culture influenced by Big Pharma

Speaker: Sandi Berwick, MSVU Family Studies/Gerontology

The first video from this spring’s series of Lunch and Learns isnow available for online viewing.  this video features Dr. Paige Moorhouse’s lecture on the new Palliative and Therapeutic Harmonization Clinic, which offers resources and skills for chronically ill older adult to assist them in dealing with their current and future medical issues/wishes.

The video is in four parts, due to its length, and can be viewed at the following links:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

For more information about the PATH Clinic, you can contact peggyhobbs@cdha.nshealth.ca

Thanks to the Geriatric Medicine Research Unit for hosting these videos on their YouTube channel! There are other videos there on topics such as driving and dementia, frailty, and more.

Please join GANS for our monthly networking night at The Foggy Goggle, 1667 Argyle St, Halifax – 5-7pm.

This month, Sandra Murphy from Community Links will give a brief  talk on  Seniors and Gambling: a hidden problem?

Stop by and meet colleagues, old and new, for interesting discussion and a bit of socializing.

Just a reminder that GANS will be holding our annual general meeting next week.  You are all invited. This meeting will be a great opportunity to meet the Board and other members, as well as to have your say on a variety of topics that will affect us all over the coming year.

DATE: June 23^rd

TIME: 5PM

LOCATION: Spencer House – 5596 Morris Street, Halifax NS .

A light meal will be provided. If you plan on attending, please RSVP to info@cakens.com

Please join us on June 08 at the Foggy Goggle on Argyle Street in Halifax for our monthly networking night. Click here for Networking June 2010 details

Dan Robichaud, Executive Director Of Halifax Regional C@P,  will give a short talk about the Digital Divide and Seniors.  

What is HRC@P?

C@P is a government of Canada initiative to provide Internet access to those who would not normally have it due to economic, social or geographic barriers. Currently 40 C@P sites in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) provide urban and rural communities affordable access to computers and the internet. Many C@P sites offer computer training including MS Office, Internet safety, Global Positioning Systems, video podcasting, and web page development. HRCAP provides over 15 full time jobs and injects over $1.7 million in the local economy, annually.

What is the Digital Divide?

“…the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology, and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalance both in physical access to technology and the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen.”

As part of GANS’ 25^th anniversary in 2002, we established the Award of Recognition. This Award is intended to recognize an individual who has made an exceptional personal and/or professional contribution to the field of aging through either an enhancement to the understanding of aging, or by providing service to the field through research, advocacy, professional or volunteer work. Exceptional for this Award means that the individual has gone above and beyond what would be expected of them in his/her professional or volunteer capacity.

At this time, we are seeking nominations for this year’s Award to be presented at our upcoming annual general meeting (June 23rd, 2010 at Spencer House). I am enclosing a Nomination Form that provides information on the process and evaluation criteria. The nomination of a candidate must be supported by three individuals; one of these must be a current member of the Gerontology Association of Nova Scotia. The deadline for nominations to be considered for this year’s Award is June 9^th, 2010. At that time, a committee will review the nominations and make their selection.

You can download a pdf of the application by click in  this link:  Award of Recognition – Call for nominations 2010