The head of the Community Connectors program at St. Thomas University believes that an "age-segregated" society medicalizes aging instead of humanizing it. He proposed the program to address isolation in a group of people that wasn't being reached. Set to launch in Jan., the program involves a network of volunteers with Meals on Wheels to provide information for those seeking community activities in the Fredericton area. The volunteers are trained to strike up a conversation, identify signs of isolation and promote community initiatives. The program underwent three rounds of funding and collaboration with provincial and federal public health agencies and it hopes to eventually encompass all vulnerable populations.
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