Seniors & Neighbourhood Dialogues

Community change and transitions leave many seniors, elders, youth, Aboriginal people and newcomers yearning for belonging, connection and safety – a sense of home. Finding Home dialogues are customized for each sector with the goals to:

Build social networks
Identify what elements create a sense of belonging
Increase access to relevant community resources
Strengthen values-based problem-solving skills
Generate solutions for everyday challenges

We specialize in Seniors & Elders Dialogues

Seniors Dialogues

Whether seniors are moving into assisted living or staying in their own homes, there is a yearning amongst many seniors for meaning, purpose and belonging – a sense of home.

Benefits

Seniors dialogues offer an opportunity to:

Explore the meaning of home
Reminisce
Make new friends
Generate new ideas, insights and strategies
Learn about community resources

Process

Finding Home Seniors Dialogues begin by exploring why home and a sense of belonging matters. Then we identify subsequent priorities for the group and customize follow-up dialogues. In one group, the seniors chose to discuss loneliness, moving homes and safety.

After each dialogue we turn the highlights into educational materials, such as posters. The posters become a visual legacy for the participants as well as a public education tool. Click here to download a sample poster. Seniors then identify workable next steps.

Our services include:

Asset inventory of seniors & elders services in your neighbourhood
Community engagement and outreach training
Customized dialogue design and facilitation
Creation of educational posters
Distribution strategy
Celebrations of Success
Final report and feedback session

Testimonials

“What the Finding Home seniors’ dialogues do so remarkably is to open the inner voice to better understand what promotes quality of life… I was touched by how simple yet how profound seniors responses were to topics such as housing and safety.”
~Val MacDonald, Director, Seniors Services Society

“Thank you so much again for the valuable gifts you bring to others and for having the courage to be a “bringer of the space” where we can all exchange stories, potentially transform suffering and despair, and make new, healthy meaning. I’m grateful we had the chance to meet”
~Louise Gauthier, Dialogue Participant

“Jessie is an excellent listener and facilitator. She asked very stimulating questions and brought interesting ideas that made us think. It was nice to sit and talk about such an interesting topic.
~Frieda Hogg, Dialogue Participant

“Remembering Home is important…it speaks to a time and place. It gives meaning and purpose to our lives.”
~Chief Robert Joseph, Hereditary Chief of the Gwa Gwa Enuk First Nations

“It means a lot to me to know someone cares that we are comfortable in our homes.”
~Joan, Dialogue Participant

“Jessie helps us find home within ourselves, and then we take that sense of home out into the community.”
~Bette, Dialogue Participant

Elders Dialogues

Whether Elders are living in their home communities or in urban centres, there is a yearning amongst many Elders for a sense of home.

Benefits

Elders dialogues offer an opportunity to:

Strengthen teaching for solving everyday challenges
Reminisce
Build new connections and relationships
Increase respect, safety and a sense of community
Generate new ideas, insights and strategies

Process

Finding Home Elders Dialogues begin by sharing stories and identifing key issues for finding a sense of home today. Then we identify subsequent priorities for the group and customize follow-up dialogues. In one group, the Elders chose to discuss self-care, family and culture.

Elders then identify workable next steps.

Our services include:

Asset Inventory of elders services in your neighbourhood
Community engagement and outreach training
Customized dialogue design and facilitation
Creation of educational posters
Distribution strategy
Celebrations of success
Final report

Testimonials

“Remembering Home is important…it speaks to a time and place. It gives meaning and purpose to our lives.”
~Chief Robert Joseph, Hereditary Chief of the Gwa Gwa Enuk First Nations

“We are on the right road. This is exactly what has to happen. The concept of finding that home, that serenity, that reference point from which you can build your hope, that can in fact provide future generations with an ability to do more is absolutely essential.”
~Honourable Senator Dallaire

“The Finding Home Dialogue helped me understand what home really means and how important a connection to home is.”
~John, Dialogue Participant

“I really enjoyed the Finding Home dialogues. I came feeling upset and confused and always left feeling really good and much lighter.”
~Kealy, Dialogue Participant

“I highly recommend these dialogues as it…gives a feeling of wellness and understanding.”
~ John, Dialogue Participant