Nos programmes
Seniors Program
Seniors’ programs are essential to improving their quality of life, independence and well-being. Educational workshops, such as those on computers, financial management and taxes, are particularly beneficial because they allow seniors to make informed decisions about their finances and better understand their tax rights. Providing assistance with tax filing not only helps them comply with tax requirements, but also avoids costly mistakes. In addition, intergenerational and creative programs promote social engagement, inclusion and mental stimulation. Ultimately, these programs help strengthen seniors’ independence while helping them stay connected and active in the community.
1. Financial management and budget workshops
Seniors can often face financial challenges, including managing their pension and daily expenses. These workshops may include sessions on:
- Retirement Income Management: How to Better Manage Pensions, Annuities, and Other Fixed Income Sources.
- Budgeting Tips: Teach tools to create a personal budget that fits a fixed income, track spending, and save.
- Understanding Insurance: Providing information on health, life and home insurance tailored to seniors.
- Long-term financial planning: Helping seniors anticipate future needs, such as long-term care or medical expenses.
2. Health and wellness courses
These programs can help seniors stay physically and mentally healthy:
- Nutrition and healthy eating: Organize cooking workshops to help seniors prepare balanced and affordable meals, adapted to their dietary needs.
- Adapted physical exercise: Offer gentle exercise sessions, such as yoga, tai chi, or walking, to improve flexibility, mobility, and reduce the risk of falls.
- Stress Management and Relaxation: Offering meditation, deep breathing and relaxation classes to improve mental well-being.
- Disease prevention: Educate seniors about the importance of regular health check-ups, vaccinations and screening tests.
3. Advanced computing sessions
Helping seniors master current technologies is essential for their autonomy and social well-being:
- Online Safety: Teach good Internet safety practices, such as creating strong passwords, avoiding online scams, and protecting their privacy.
- Social Media: Organize sessions to learn how to use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp, allowing seniors to stay connected with their family and friends.
- Useful applications: Present applications for health, finance, transportation, or leisure management, adapted to their needs.
- Productivity tools: Learn how to use office software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for document management, or video conferencing tools like Zoom for remote meetings.
4. Basic legal support
Seniors may need help understanding complex legal documents. This program could include:
- Understanding Wills and Estate Planning: Provide information on the importance of preparing a will and organizing an estate.
- Powers of Attorney and Health Care: Explain the legal documents that allow someone to be designated to make decisions when they become incapacitated.
- Seniors' Rights: Provide information about the legal rights of seniors, including rights to housing, health care, and financial security.
- Free or low-cost legal consultations: Offer consultations with volunteer or partner lawyers to answer specific questions.
5. Support for mobility and transportability
Support for mobility and transportability
- Public Transportation Use Course: Teach seniors how to use local public transportation, including information on routes, schedules, and fares.
- On-demand transportation services: Establish a transportation system to help seniors get to medical appointments, social events or run errands.
- Road safety awareness: Organize sessions to teach seniors to be careful when traveling, whether they are pedestrians or drivers.
6. Intergenerational programs
Promoting exchanges between generations not only provides support to seniors, but also strengthens solidarity in the community:
- Mentoring: Create programs where young people can learn from the life experiences of older people while providing support with tasks such as computers or managing finances.
- Community projects: Organize activities where youth and seniors collaborate together, such as creating a community garden, artistic events or volunteering.
- Cultural and social workshops: Offer events such as movie nights, board games, shared meals or sports activities where different generations can interact
7. Creative and artistic workshops
Creative activities are not only fun, but they also allow seniors to maintain mental agility and connect with others:
- Painting and Drawing: Offer classes to learn different artistic techniques, allowing seniors to express their creativity and create works of art.
- Music: Organize singing, dancing or musical instrument workshops to stimulate the mind and promote an enriching experience.
- Crafts: Sewing, knitting, pottery, or jewelry-making classes can be fun ways to stimulate creativity while allowing seniors to create items they can use or give as gifts.
8. Home Safety Training
Ensuring the safety of seniors at home is essential to avoid accidents:
- Fall prevention: Organize awareness sessions on how to design the home to reduce the risk of falls, such as installing grab bars and non-slip mats.
- Using Safety Technology: Teaching seniors how to use technology such as medical alarms, smoke detectors, or security cameras.
- Securing spaces: Raise awareness of the importance of securing homes against burglaries and scams, including installing alarm systems or surveillance cameras.
9. Educational workshops on taxes
Organize information sessions to explain the basics of tax filing, including the different types of income and deductions that seniors may be eligible for. These workshops could include:
- Tax Credits for Seniors: Explain tax credits specific to seniors, such as the Senior Tax Credit, Medical Expense Credit, and Home Care Credits.
- Retirement income: How to report income from pensions, RRSPs, annuities or investments.
- Possible deductions: Inform seniors about tax deductions for health care, medical expenses, and charitable donations, among others.
- Government benefits: Provide information about financial support programs such as Old Age Security (OAS) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), and how they affect tax returns.
10. Individual assistance in completing tax returns
Establish a one-on-one assistance service where volunteers or tax experts can help seniors complete their returns correctly and completely:
- Personalized support: Offer individual sessions to guide seniors through the process of declaring their income, deductions and tax credits.
- Securing Documents: Helping seniors gather all necessary documents, such as income forms, medical receipts, bank statements, and other relevant tax documents.
- Check for common errors: Identify and correct common errors that could result in a lower refund or penalties, such as omitting tax credits or income.
These programs can provide a wide range of benefits to seniors, promoting their independence, security and well-being, while strengthening social and community ties.