Diane Bartlett loves retirement. She walks with a swing in her step, and she expresses a joyful enthusiasm when she speaks about her life. She describes herself as a people-person and says her rosy disposition comes from her engagement with the local senior’s community.

An important part of her retirement has been the Lan-Char Support Centre in Lancaster. The centre offers a variety of programs and services that centre around healthy aging and connection. For the past 14 years, Diane has volunteered at the Diner’s Club, setting tables for the meals that are served to seniors three times a week. This is just the latest role she has taken at Lan-Char over the past nearly decade and a half, helping the team however she can.

Volunteering is just one part of how she helps Lan-Char but also how Lan-Char helps her. For the same length of time, she has been part of the centre’s exercise classes. Twice a week, she and the other 13 participants sweat through a great workout under the direction of instructor, Catherine.

Diane extols the physical benefits of exercise in helping with aches and preventing falls, but Diane also values the friendships she’s made with other seniors who attend classes regularly. She says the exercise program helps maintain her sense of joy because she has developed a “camaraderie” with others and made a few friends. She says, “It’s very positive.”

The International Federation of Ageing has stated, “the number one emerging issue facing seniors in Canada is keeping older people socially connected and active.” In rural communities, like the ones across Eastern Counties, isolation and inactivity can be especially common due to the lack of community and recreation resources. Research shows that an estimated 30% of Canadian seniors are at risk of becoming socially isolated, and isolation often leads people into hospitals and long-term care.

For Diane, the Lan-Char Support Centre offers an easy way to connect with like-minded seniors in her community, but the result can be much greater. It helps her age well with connection, friendship, meaning, and joy. While not medical, these services can have a great impact on her health.

For Diane, the people she’s met through the Carefor community centre are an indispensable part of her life. She says caring for others is “a two-way street”. Through her volunteer work, she is helping others, and by engaging with the local community she is also caring for herself.

Carefor offers a variety of senior support programs. To find a program near you, please visit our website. https://carefor.ca/services/community-programs-seniors/