Team profiles :

Mayne Island Assisted Living Society

At a Glance   

Region: British Columbia

Setting: Rural

EAIP program principle(s): 

• Access to specialized healthcare services 
• Access to social and community supports 
• Access to system navigation and support 

Implementation (new, spread, and/or expand):   

• New, expand and spread 

Team Profile  

The team leading this initiative is Mayne Island Assisted Living Society (MIALS) in collaboration from Mayne Island Health Centre Association (MIHCA), with support from Mayne Island Collective. Team members include representatives from MIALS and MIHCA who provide community engagement, data collection, program leadership, evaluation and advisory support.  

Community

• Mayne Island, with an average resident age about 20 years older than the provincial average, faces significant challenges related to senior care and engagement. 
• The island's rural and remote nature, accessible only by ferry, exacerbates feelings of social isolation and limits opportunities for seniors to age in place. 
• The community includes a substantial number of older adults, a growing full-time resident population, and Indigenous peoples. This vulnerable senior population includes individuals with disabilities, mobility issues, and socio-economic barriers, all compounded by the island's isolation.

Program Focus 

Program Description 

• The "Home Is Where The Heart Is" Improvement Bundle, jointly resourced and delivered by the Mayne Island Assisted Living Society (MIALS) and the Mayne Island Health Centre Association (MIHCA), is designed to support Mayne Island's aging population. This program includes four key components:   
  1. Community Bus Expansion to enhance mobility and access to healthcare services, addressing the need for reliable transportation to health specialist appointments 
  2. The Navigator Program to provide personalized assistance in accessing and utilizing community and health resources
  3. Home Safety initiatives to ensure seniors' homes are safe, reducing the risk of accidents and improving living conditions 
  4. Mental Health Support for family members caring for aging islanders, offering resources and support to address support emotional and psychological well-being.  
  5. The program aims to build on existing community assets to improve the quality of life for older adults living on Mayne Island, providing them with supports and building capacity to age in place.

Implementation Approach: 

• Day Trippers Bus Program: Continue and expand bus program to enhance mobility and healthcare access for older adults and community members, provided by partner organizations, with weekly trips to Sidney, Victoria, and surrounding areas with program supports, mobilizing bus drivers, ferry schedules, and volunteers. 
• Mental Health Stream: New service offering a Caregiver Support Group, overnight respite pilot, and one-on-one therapeutic support, targeting caregivers' emotional and psychological needs, mobilizing local volunteers, retired care providers, and community venues, with limited respite offerings annually. 
• Home Safety: Reestablish a medical equipment loan cupboard and introduce a Fall Prevention program, provided by host and partner organizations, focusing on safe home environments for seniors, mobilizing local resources and volunteers, with two to three equipment accesses per week.  
• Navigator/Advocacy Program: Provide navigation and advocacy assistance for seniors, offered by host and partner organizations, using a NAV-CARE approach with online and in-person support, mobilizing over 42 local charities and non-profits.