Below is a list of upcoming events and opportunities hosted by ORCA Stakeholders and Commercial Partners that aim to educate, inform, and inspire ORCA Operator Members and the retirement community sector at large.
The following events are not endorsed by ORCA and are intended as resources only.
StrongerU Senior Fitness: Here Comes Summer Free Program
June 1 – August 31
On June 1, StrongerU Senior Fitness is releasing a free, full-length, summer themed fitness class that your life enrichment team can learn and teach to your residents. They are also providing additional programming resources to really start summer off in a big way! Sign up to gain access here: https://www.strongeruseniorfitness.com/here-comes-summer. You’ll gain access on June 1 and keep access until the end of August.
AgeTech Labs Survey
June 2023
AgeTech Labs tests technology products designed for seniors against vendor claims of functionality and performance, in real-world settings, to establish a baseline of performance. We publish these reviews to help operators sort through the marketplace clutter to confidently understand the products available, and how well they work.
Current reviews include fall detection technologies and food delivery robots, available for free at www.agetechlabs.ca. We are inviting operators to help us shape our journey, weigh in on the services that matter most to them, and be part of the ongoing dialogue. We would be grateful for your input through a short survey here.
Gerontology Student Placement Opportunities: Fanshawe Toronto@ILAC
May 1 – August 18, 2023 – 200 hours required
Fanshawe Toronto@ILAC (International Language Academy of Canada) is seeking retirement home operators in the Toronto, Scarborough, and Peel Region interested in hosting students enrolled in their Gerontology program for a placement opportunity. The placement would begin on May 1 and end on August 18, 2023, with a total of 200 hours being completed. The students are expected to work two days a week (either Wednesday and Thursday or Thursday and Friday).
The student’s learning outcomes in the Gerontology placement include:
Fanshawe works with a placement agency to ensure all students have met the requirements to complete a placement in Ontario, including a vulnerable sector check, standard first aid and CPR-C certificate, and immunizations. The students are also covered under WSIB, and documentation would be provided alongside the Letter of Understanding.
If your home is interested in hosting a student, please contact Ovijah from Fanshawe Toronto@ILAC to learn more.
Health Care Staffing Innovation Workshop
June 15-16, 2023, in Buckhead – Atlanta, GA
You are invited to attend the Health Care Staffing Innovation workshop to learn about the most up-to-date workforce management strategies from operators in the US, Canada, and the UK. This workshop is designed for C-Level, VP’s, HR Managers, and Directors. Unlike typical speaker-listener events, this gathering is not meant to be a one-way communication experience. Rather, it is intended to be an interactive forum for operators who have faced staffing challenges worldwide and have experimented with various strategies, whether successful or unsuccessful. By attending, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with others who understand the staffing struggle. The goal is to be more effective in addressing staffing issues by working together! Learn more about this event and pre-register here.
Share with Your Residents: DAAC Zoomer Boomer Healthy Ageing for Little People Seniors Program
Now until June 16, 2023
The Dwarf Athletic Association of Canada (DAAC) is offering a free monthly Zoomer Boomer Healthy Aging program for Little People Seniors. This virtual program aims to combat social isolation and promote community among seniors in the Little People community. Sessions will feature a variety of topics and expert speakers, providing a safe space for participants to discuss and address challenges they may face as they age.
Webinar topics include Mental Health for LP Seniors, Digital Literacy for LP Seniors, Afternoon Art and Painting Session for LP Seniors, Dwarfism Awareness and Acceptance Month for LP Seniors, Financial Planning for LP Seniors. Laughter Yoga for LP Seniors, and Nutrition and Healthy Cooking Class for LP Seniors.
Any supplies needed to participate are provided. (e.g. painting supplies, etc, are sent to the participating LP senior free of charge.) Please click here to learn more and sign up for the program.
Mohawk College Seeking Placements for Nursing and PSW Students
Summer 2023
Mohawk College is looking to place its nursing and PSW students in retirement homes in the areas of Hamilton, Brantford, Halton, Haldimand, Dunnville, Niagara, Norfolk, and surrounding regions this summer. Homes that offer memory care, assisted living, and transitional care beds are preferred.
The student would have to be staffed with a PSW/RPN/RN team member during the placement, and opportunities to perform skills such as mechanical lifts, 1-2 person transfers, peri care, feeding, and oral care are desired.
If you are interested in learning more about this student placement opportunity, please contact Kaleigh Rudge from Mohawk College directly.
Student Placement Opportunity for Retirement Home Operators
Now until end of summer
Colleges and Institutes Canada is offering retirement homes up to a $5,000 wage subsidy to hire a student for two-to-four months through the Supportive Care Assistant (SCA) Program.
Until the end of this summer, the SCA Program is looking to partner with retirement homes that want to connect and hire new talent (students) looking for work. Colleges and Institutes Canada is seeking additional retirement homes in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Peterborough, Waterloo, St. Catherine’s, Brampton, and London.
The micro-certificate program was created to attract and rapidly train more workers for the personal care sector, and students can assist staff and support residents by performing non-clinical activities such as assisting with mealtimes, grooming, and more.
The program can also help accelerate the next step of a student’s career or upskill an existing worker. Graduates of the SCA program can also receive $5,000 to pursue further studies and become a certified Personal Support Worker.
For questions, or if your home is interested in hiring a student through the program, please email SCA-APSS@collegesinstitutes.ca. You can also learn more about the program through the employer partner page.
Social Service Worker Gerontology Student Placement Opportunities: Seneca College, King Campus
September 5, 2023 – April 17, 2024 – 440 hours required
Second-year students enrolled in the Social Service Worker Gerontology program at Seneca College, King Campus, are seeking placement opportunities for the 2023 Fall/Winter semester. The placement details include:
If your home is interested in hosting a student from this program or would like more information, please contact Charmaine Hugh from Seneca College directly.
Share with Your Residents: Later Life Learning – A Seniors’ Education Program in Partnership with the University of Toronto
Starting September 2023
Later Life Learning (LLL), a group of seniors who want to continue to learn and also interact with others, are now offering courses both in-person, hybrid (in-person and on-line), and on-line. Due to the multiple ways of delivering the courses, LLL can accommodate an increased number of members in many of them.
Starting this September, LLL will offer four different series, each with 10 lectures. Seniors may enroll in one or more of the following:
• Impressionists and the City
• The Middle East on the Move
• The Films of Steven Spielberg
• Getting away From It All – A History of Tourism
To learn more, please view the flyer or visit LLLtoronto.org. Questions can be directed to LLL@LLLtoronto.org.
AgeTech Live and Up Close Virtual Tour by AGE-WELL
October 24, 2023
In October, innovative technologies designed to benefit us as we age will be on display during AGE-WELL’s AgeTech Innovation Week. AGE-WELL wants to make sure people across Canada and beyond have an opportunity to see what’s available and coming soon. Join them from anywhere! You, your residents, and your staff will receive a live virtual tour of featured technologies, be able to ask questions, and see demos through individual viewing or watch events set up at your home.
This is a first-of-its-kind virtual/online experience meant to give you real access and engagement with leaders in technology and aging.
To learn more about the event and register, please click here. Questions can be directed to agetechtour@agewell-nce.ca.