About Senior Abuse
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.
