The Island Community Services (ICS) Active Aging program builds on decades of grassroots support, including the longstanding Better at Home initiative, run by Shellyse Szakacs for over 10 years. Under the leadership of Kyla Duncan, Clinical Director, and alongside Deanna Roewood, Seniors’ Community Connector, the team is now re-imagining aging on the island using the provincial Active Aging framework, delivered in partnership with United Way BC.
ICS, celebrating 50 years of community service this year, has been supporting seniors since its earliest days, often through partnerships with local groups. In the 1980s, community leaders like Mary Toynbee, Bob Appleton and ICS staff member Rhema Cossover helped launch the Seniors for Seniors initiative and the original Seniors Wellness program. For years, ICS led a collaborative wellness effort alongside Salt Spring Seniors, the Gulf Islands Seniors Residence Association and Lady Minto Hospital.
Today, the work continues with expanded direct services and a renewed focus on community coordination — including interagency collaboration and support for gathering spaces like the South Salt Spring Gathering Place at Fulford Hall.
Meet Shellyse Szakacs, Better at Home Coordinator
Shellyse began her journey with ICS as a volunteer, eventually being hired in 2014 to coordinate senior programming—drawing from a strong background in trauma-informed counselling, crisis response, and training.
She implemented the Salt Spring Island Better at Home program, using a community-based approach with a team of service providers and volunteers to deliver essential non-medical services to seniors, including housekeeping, yard work, grocery shopping, friendly visiting and peer counselling. She focuses on relationship-building and carefully matches clients with service providers to ensure trust and compatibility.
Shellyse also organizes and delivers a 60-hour senior peer counselling training tailored to the unique challenges of aging—grief, loss, addiction, dementia and identity change. The trained peer counsellors are then supervised in their assignments to support seniors in need.
“There’s no one program or service that is going to meet all of seniors’ needs,” Shellyse says. “It takes a community wide effort to support our seniors.”
Meet Deanna Roewood, Seniors’ Community Connector
Deanna’s job is equal parts detective, collaborator, and advocate. After six years with the ICS Housing First program, she joined the Active Aging team to help shape something new in ICS programs for older adults. Her work starts with listening — to seniors, to service providers and to those who support older adults in the community.
In her early days on the job Deanna has connected with local seniors’ centres and other seniors’ service providers. She’s also conducting community outreach and participating in province-wide knowledge exchanges about social prescribing — the model that underpins the Community Connector role.
“What excites me most is helping people solve problems that might otherwise push them out of their homes or into crisis,” Deanna says. “That might mean connecting someone to a meal program, helping with paperwork or connecting them to other practical solutions.”
What You Might Not See
Salt Spring Island is home to many active, engaged older adults — but it’s also home to seniors living in boats, off the grid or in isolation. Some are aging without pensions, family or access to healthcare and many simply don’t know where to turn when daily living becomes more difficult.
The Active Aging program’s roster of services includes:
- Better at Home
- Seniors’ Community Connector
- Navigation and Peer Support
- Gathering Places
- Social Meals
- Senior Peer Counselling
- Community Collaboration through Interagency Committees
- Resource and Referral
- Harvest Home Meals
Together, they form a wraparound system for aging with dignity — especially for those who are financially, socially, or geographically vulnerable.
A Model for What’s Next
The Active Aging framework is built around nine principles, some of which are lifelong learning, social connection, physical activity, and mental engagement. Shellyse and Deanna’s approach brings those principles to life through a blend of structure and spontaneity, policy and presence.
Whether it’s helping a recently widowed senior get a Lifeline installed, or co-developing new arts and fitness offerings in Fulford, the work is constant — and constantly evolving.
“The need is great,” Kyla says, “but so is the potential. The more we know, the better we can do.”
Want to Get Involved?
ICS is seeking community members, groups, and professionals who work with — or want to support — local seniors. Opportunities range from volunteer driving and low-cost activity partnerships to peer education and interagency collaboration.
If you or your organization offers something that could help seniors stay well, stay engaged, and stay home longer, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact volunteer@ssics.ca
This article is part of a series of program profiles in recognition of our 50th year of community service to Salt Spring and the Southern Gulf Islands.
