Goals:
- Uphold and improve quality of life for older adults with a developmental disability.
- Strengthen service system functioning and planning capacity to support adults with a developmental disability as they age.
- Create and maintain a body of knowledge about best practices.
- Build and maintain an open cross sector dialogue that includes service providers, planners, educators, researchers and legislators.
Objectives:
- Support development of cross sector dialogue, learning and planning capacity through the establishment and functioning of regional committees.
- Identify and test new models of support through local cross sector pilot projects.
- Ensure the needs of older adults with a developmental disability are an integral and recognized part of the planning agenda through collaborative work with planning bodies.
- Uphold the continuing evolution of the public policy agenda to reflect the needs of older adults with a developmental disability through cross sector dialogue and consultation with legislators.
- Strengthen the capacity for research on aging and developmental disabilities through applied research projects and through dialogue with research bodies and educational institutions.
- Build system capacity to meet the emerging needs of older adults with a developmental disability through dissemination of information, knowledge and resources.
Achievements:
- Development of Regional Committees on Aging and Developmental Disabilities.
- Funding and planning support to regional workshops across Ontario.
- Consultation and support to local cross sector projects.
- Consultation with government on emerging issues related to aging and developmental disabilities:
- Transition planning
- Cross sector training
- Access to services for seniors
- Best practices
- Development of a train the trainer model for delivery of the U-First! training curriculum to cross sector audiences of long term care and developmental services caregivers.
- Publication and distribution of resources for planners and caregivers.
