Ontario Seniors Welcome New Technology

PACE 2000’s “Virtual Play School” brings seniors and children together over videoconference. Here, a student chats with Ottawa resident Evelyn Shore.

Physical constraints need not keep seniors from participating in their communities. Now, thanks to the Intergenerational Virtual Village, they can meet people and share experiences without ever leaving their homes.

The Village, operated since 1997 by PACE 2000 (Programs for Autonomy and Communications for the Elderly), is a real-time videoconferencing network linking seniors to professionals and students. "To age well, it is important to fight isolation," says Dr. Marie-Madeleine Bernard, President of the PACE 2000 International Foundation. "Our Village fosters activities that promote well-being and a connection to the community."

Seniors residing at Ottawa's Centre d'accueil Champlain and Perley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre join the Village regularly. They communicate by way of their television screens with various community organizations.

The Village offers a variety of programs: intercultural exchanges between new immigrants to Canada and seniors, a "Virtual Play School" connecting seniors and children at River Parkway Preschool Centre, and a mentoring program between seniors and high school students. Far from being intimidated by this technology, participating seniors eagerly await their next opportunity to spend time with their young friends.

A resident at Perley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre explains, "I like connecting with the children. It keeps me alert. I also like the fact that I don't have to leave the Perley in order to meet different people. I enjoy meeting people from all over the world." A 79-year-old resident adds, "It gives me a feeling of pride. I can still serve a purpose in life when I speak with the children."

River Parkway Preschool Centre students read a storybook to their virtual audience, while Dr. Marie-Madeleine Bernard looks on.

The PACE 2000 network is now growing to meet the needs of even more homebound seniors. In the next three years, the program will expand from its five Ottawa valley sites to Toronto, Sudbury, London and Essex County, with the help of a $299,200 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant. Thanks to new high-speed Internet technology, the program could soon be made available to many seniors in their own homes at a reasonable cost, bringing emotional and physical well-being to Canada’s fastest growing population.

PACE 2000 was awarded the second place "Geront-technology" Award 2003 for innovative technologies for homebound seniors and the handicapped at the Gerontexpo in Paris, France.

Visit www.pace2000.org for more information on this innovative program.