Peter Mansbridge named Honorary Chair of campaign that aims to transform care for Canadian seniors and Veterans
May 18, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario
Today the Perley Health Foundation announced award-winning journalist Peter Mansbridge as Honorary Chair of its $10 million fundraising campaign, Answering the Call.
The vision for the campaign is ambitious – to transform care for millions of frail seniors across Canada while continuing to sustain exceptional care for hundreds of seniors and Veterans living at Perley Health.
A Special message from Honorary Chair, Mr. Peter Mansbridge
Answering the Call is a campaign based on a proud history of seniors’ care in Ottawa but with an unwavering eye on the future of caring for frail seniors across Canada. It will invest in much-needed research and innovation to guide the care of Canada’s rapidly aging population. A significant portion of the funds raised will go toward Perley Health’s new Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care, where applied research, knowledge transfer, and the creation of evidence-based best practices will positively impact the Perley Health community and far beyond.
Mr. Mansbridge is best known for his five decades of work at the CBC where he was Chief Correspondent of CBC News and anchor of The National for 30 years. His keen interest in Veterans and desire to improve seniors’ care inspired him to step into the Honorary Chair role.
“As the pandemic has shown, transforming care for our seniors is an urgent issue that we must collectively address. With its history, size, structure, and impressive diversity of programs and services for seniors and Veterans, Perley Health is uniquely positioned to deliver on the vision of Answering the Call. I’m very proud to lend my support,” Mr. Mansbridge said.
Answering the Call is currently seeking transformative gifts from individuals and organizations who share the campaign’s goals and values. These philanthropic investments will fund applied research projects and propel the growth of the Centre of Excellence.
“Realizing the full potential of our vision can only happen with the support of our community,” said John Jarvis, Campaign Co-Chair. “We are thrilled that someone as passionate and influential as Peter Mansbridge has come on board to serve as Honorary Chair. His voice makes all the difference.”
To learn more about the campaign, please visit https://www.answeringthecall.care/.
“Art classes provide me with a sense of achievement, increase my self-esteem, and above all, they give me an opportunity to interact with other people who also live with dementia.” ~Stan, Veteran, Perley Health tenant and artist
Your compassionate support of important frailty-informed research studies help fuel progress in care for seniors at Perley Health and beyond. Thanks to you, an ongoing study conducted by the Centre of Excellence in Frailty-Informed Care (CoE) is identifying evidence-based best practices that improve the quality of life of seniors and older Veterans through creative arts programming.
Over the last two years, a study documenting the impact of a specially funded Veterans Arts Program, was conducted over several six-week periods. For a few hours each week, Veteran tenants living at Perley Health created a variety of artistic media with paint, clay, and wood, alongside professional artists, therapists, and supportive volunteers. Feedback was collected through a series of participant focus groups and interviews with program managers and facilitators.
The research shows overwhelmingly positive results for participants living in the community, even for those with little to no artistic experience. Creative arts programs improve wellbeing and foster crucial social connections that are often lost with age and illness.
One program facilitator noted, "A woman came to me at the end of one class and said, you know, all my family is dead. All my friends are dead. I have nothing to look forward to, but now, I have this to look forward to every week. And it brings me so much joy."
Additionally, the study uncovered potential challenges for facilitators, and identified viable solutions and best practices for incorporating creative arts programs at other long-term care homes and senior communities of care.
Because of you, Perley Health tenants enjoy enriched lives through creative expression and social interaction. Your generosity makes this transformative impact possible, and for that, we are deeply grateful.