Golden Circle Senior Resource Centre has partnered with Happipad, the developer of Canada’s first web-based companion housing platform, to expand affordable shared housing opportunities specifically for vulnerable population segments, including seniors, students, people with disabilities, and recent immigrants. This partnership is supported in part by funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) under the National Housing Strategy Demonstrations Initiative. To learn more, please contact Monica Morrison at 403-343-6074.
Happipad is a Canadian technology company founded in 2017 and based in Kelowna, BC. Happipad is a leader in developing innovations to support and expand companion housing opportunities and has created Canada’s first companion housing web-based platform, which enables safe, peer-to-peer formation and management of cohabitation arrangements.

The Golden Circle frozen meal program made and distributed 22,571 frozen meals between March 16, 2020 and April 9, 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have also provided 668 potpies and 1,137 servings of soup. Our frozen meal program has been in high demand and we have had to add a number of freezers to keep up with the demand. We deliver the meals on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays free of charge during COVID so people do not have to go out. If you want to try our meals because you’re tired of cooking or are not cooking for yourself, please give us a call at 403-343-7064. Our frozen meal menu is also available on our website at www.goldencircle.ca. When you are ordering your frozen meals, consider ordering one of Grandma’s Pies for dessert, which are being delivered along with the frozen meals.

Our Outreach program has volunteers who can drive seniors and people with disabilities to medical appointments, as well as to COVID vaccination appointments, if they are not able to get to appointments on their own. In order to access the service, please call the Golden Circle at 403-343-6074 and put in a request. If you have not received services from us before, we will open a file. The cost for transportation in the city is $8.00 round trip paid to the volunteer.

Golden Circle Outreach services connect people who need help to our collection of services or other services in the community that will make their life easier and safer. Our staff have helped people apply for the Action Bus and connect them to Red Deer Meals on Wheels, so that they can get a hot meal delivered at noon Monday to Friday. We help people get a Lifeline system from the Friends of Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre, as well as help with Alberta Senior Benefits and income tax. Staff have also helped people fill out application forms for CPP and OAS, as well as AISH. We are here to help people get the supports and services they need to remain independent. Please reach out, ask questions, and we will help you get the information you need. We are only a call away at 403-343-6074.

If you are naming an executor (or alternate) who is not your spouse, consider having that person review a draft before it is finalized. Their questions and input may be useful in ensuring that your wishes are carried out and problems are avoided. They should also know where to find the original of your Will and a summary of your current assets and liabilities, which they will need to complete the probate application. Making sure that your executor understands your wishes as set out in your Will and has access to the necessary information will ensure that they can complete their role with as little stress as possible.

Diabetes is a chronic disease which affects more than three million people in Canada. About one-third of adults with the condition are unaware they have it. Understanding diabetes, its symptoms and available treatment options is an important piece of an overall wellness plan. If you are 40 or older, you should get checked even if no symptoms are present, because many people who have Type 2 diabetes display no symptoms. Your local pharmacist can help you manage your diabetes. They understand your situation and the challenges diabetes can present.

Did you know that previous research suggests that hearing loss and abnormalities in the eye are tied to memory loss and a higher Alzheimer’s risk? New evidence now indicates that addressing hearing and sight problems can slow down cognitive decline. Existing studies have pointed out that there is a link between the quality of a person’s hearing and their eye health and their exposure to cognitive decline. For those who adopted hearing aids, the scientists found the rate of cognitive decline was 75 percent slower following this intervention.