An Online Asynchronous Workshop for Healthcare & Other Professionals
When: Monday, May 5 – Sunday, Jun 1, 2025 (4 weeks) ONLINE weekly at your discretion
Cost: $240 (Students $120)
This workshop will be offered only be if there is sufficient enrolment.
Sufficient Enrolment Deadline: Mon, Apr 28, 2025
The housing challenges and needs of older adults can often be complex, depending on socioeconomic status, physical and mental health conditions, available supports, and life history. This workshop is designed to help participants become familiar with the range of housing options available to older adults with diverse needs. This includes information that will help professionals and caregivers to assess housing needs and assist older adults in exploring housing options and using strategies to mitigate housing instability. The workshop will provide an overview of a variety of housing types and arrangements and present concepts to guide human service professionals in situating housing within the larger paradigm of age-friendly communities and services. Topics include homelessness among older adults, housing stabilization, continuum of housing and care and retirement communities – Role of social work and other health professions.
Week 1 – Topic: Homelessness among older adults
- Biopsychosocial needs of older homeless populations
- Housing First model and older adults
- Suitability of homeless shelters for older adults
- Palliative care for homeless people
Week 2 – Topic: Housing stabilization
- Supportive housing, including dementia-friendly housing
- How housing subsidies interact with old age benefits
- Older tenants’ vulnerability, e.g., housing unit takeovers
- Housing mediation with landlords and older adult tenants
- Eviction prevention for older adults (e.g., voluntary trusteeship, addressing hoarding)
Week 3 – Topic: Continuum of housing and care
- Intergenerational housing
- Aging in place, Home First
- Assisted living and independent living
- Long-term care and home care
Week 4 – Topic: Retirement communities – Role of social work and other health professions
- Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities
- Retirement villages – programs, rights
- Community gardens in older adults’ residences
- Universal design principles, accessibility and building suitability for older adults
- Role of health professionals in contributing to age-friendly cities
Instructor: Helen Rose Lam
Helen Rose is a policy analyst who holds a Master’s of Social Work from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, with a specialization in gerontology. She is also registered with the Ontario College of Social Work and Social Service Workers. Additionally, she has a Master of Public Policy & Administration from Carleton University. Her professional background is characterized by a multifaceted experience in the field of housing, ranging from direct practice to policy research. In addition to her role as a policy analyst, she works as a residential support worker at a transitional housing organization in Ottawa and is involved in some senior living residences as a group facilitator.
Registration and payment available online at https://aging.utoronto.ca/642-2/