Jose Robinson, Community Engagement and Public Relations Manager at the Dr. Kingston Memorial Community Health Centre in L’Ardoise, recently spoke with civic journalist Jake Boudrot following a virtual presentation on the findings of the ACTing Collectively project.

Robinson began by describing her role at the Richmond County health facility.

“My job is to get the word out about our programs and make sure we’re reaching the people who need them most,” she explained. “It’s also about making sure their needs are heard and raising awareness around the key issues affecting our community.”

Since 2022, the health centre has partnered with the Seniors Take Action Coalition and Dalhousie University on a research initiative called ACTing Collectively. The goal of the project, Robinson said, is to guide community organizations on how to support older adults better as they age in place.

“What ACTing Collectively aims to do is offer direction so that organizations like ours can better meet the needs of older adults in the community,” she said. “We know more and more people are living longer, staying in their homes longer, and facing increasingly complex health and social challenges. But until now, we didn’t have solid, community-based data to help address those needs effectively.”

Robinson highlighted mental health, chronic pain, and chronic illness as areas that require urgent attention and long-term planning.

“As community navigators, we need to help people access the services they need,” she said. “Thanks to this research, we now have a clearer path forward. We know the top concerns of older adults—because they told us directly through the survey—so we can tailor our programming, seek the right grants, and advocate more effectively at both the provincial and municipal levels.”

The health centre played a key role in connecting local older adults with the research team. According to Robinson, nearly half of all survey respondents were from Richmond County.