iGenNB: Making Home Sharing Work for New Brunswick
Introduction:
Today’s guests are CEO and Founder of Silvermark, Aimée Foreman, she joins the show today in her capacity as industry lead on the iGenNB Project alongside Andrea Trenholm, Postdoctoral Researcher on the team.
We’re all aging, and everyone’s talking about it!
Key Takeaways
[:40] Jenna welcomes today’s guests Aimée Foreman and Andrea Trenholm and invites them to explain what the iGenNB acronym stands for.
[2:15] Amiée touches on the key issues that led to this specific project and how aging in place is critical to bending the curve away from long-term care.
[3:55] The “Matching” component of the project is at the heart of the project’s attempt to palliate the three biggest plights of aging — loneliness, boredom, and isolation. Aimée touches on how these aspects are addressed through home-sharing.
[5:32] Aimée touches on the benefits that this type of sharing practice offers — and other jurisdictions have proven those benefits — as well as how this project is looking at implementation strategies specific to New Brunswick.
[6:38] The process of finding matches for home-sharing was built through rigorous applicant surveys and references. Andrea explains how the project dove into greater detail to get to know individuals better and find ideal matches.
[12:37] Aimée touches on the challenges the project faced when it came to reaching older adults and the ways the team found to circumvent these obstacles.
[17:22] Andrea talks about how the pandemic interfered with some planned social activities as well as how the project evolved to compensate for these.
[20:38] Andrea explains how the culinary connection was the result of a major trend.
[23:09] One designed match came out of the project, Aimée talks about how this came about despite the pandemic having foiled most other attempts.
[25:17] Andrea speaks to how the relationship was built, as well as the disappointment of the shared living dissolving after a month.
[28:12] A great deal of the preliminary findings were collected because the match was dissolved. Andrea breaks down some of the things that they learned and touches on how despite the disappointment, this “failure” led to a great deal of information, from the perception of the social worker’s roles and opportunities for celebration!
[32:51] Jenna thanks Aimée Foreman and Andrea Trenholm for coming on the podcast. Until next time, subscribe, rate, and share!
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Mentioned in this episode
The MileAGE Podcast
Healthy Seniors Pilot Project Program
iGenNB
More about your hosts
Jenna Roddick at APPTA
Jenna Roddick on Twitter
Jenna Roddick on LinkedIn
More about today’s guests
Aimée Foreman is Silvermark’s founder and CEO. As industry lead, and project co-lead for iGenNB, Aimée brought her expertise in service delivery across the public, private and non-profit sectors to the team. She led the creation of a guide to advance intergenerational living locally and to support other communities wanting to develop home-sharing programs. Improving the quality of life for older adults through connection, purpose, and meaning is at the heart of all Silvermark projects. Aimée resides in New Maryland with her husband, two children, and pet dog, all of whom feel fortunate to live just a few minutes away from both sets of grandparents.
Andrea Trenholm from St. Thomas University is the Postdoctoral Researcher on the team, Andrea contacted participants to discuss iGenNB’s research component and schedule interview conversations with them. Originally from Alberta and having grown up in Ontario, Andrea has called Fredericton home for over 12 years. She lives with her husband, her two small children, and her husky, Echo. As a social sciences researcher, Andrea is passionate about hearing people’s stories and believes that each individual carries important knowledge.
