Media Release
For Immediate Release: September 21, 2022
A message from our President, Ron Rose:
Please join me in welcoming Mary Benson to her new role as Executive Director of Alberta Council on Aging. Mary previously served as the director for Region 2, and brings a wealth of experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm to her new position. We look forward to working with her to encourage and enable older persons’ full participation in all aspects of community through inclusion, education and advocacy.
Welcome aboard Mary!
A message from Mary Benson, Executive Director:
I have been fortunate to have experienced several opportunities in life with career and volunteer choices. I spent 25 years in the Dental field. Holding a lot of hands, comforting and reassuring individuals of all ages. I always knew I wanted to help and support others. In 2010 I pursued a career change. Little did I know that Senior Care would have such an impact on my life and become such a passion in my heart. I worked in two very different senior facilities. I provided recreational and support programs for seniors of an independent level of care to working with seniors in Level 4 supportive living and dementia. Offering supports and direction for families to resource and help navigate them through the changes in life of their loved ones. I am a strong advocate always pushing for supports and resources to help our most vulnerable population. I want to continue to be the voice heard for those that can not speak. In my spare time I enjoy most being at the lake, the peace of nature and spending time with family and friends.
I am very honoured to take on the role as the Executive Director for this amazing organization. There are so many important issues in discussion at present. These talks will mold the future of our Healthcare and support for the families of Caregivers. Please feel free to reach out to the Alberta Council on Aging with your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you.
For more information about this media release, please contact:
Mary Benson, Executive Director
Alberta Council on Aging
780.423.7781 or [email protected]
I hope that more attention will be focused on seniors who desire to live in their own home as long as possible. We live in a senior home for independent living. After being invited by one of our daughters to live with them for a period before moving into a senior home we accepted. We did not realize at that time that it meant selling our beloved condo, giving away three-quart of our belongings and never again live in our own home. Our four children decided that with the start of the pandemic this was the best way to go. Maybe they were right, but it is not what we wanted. We felt and still feel as if we were not in charge of our lives any more. We felt bowled over, so to speak. We are now living in a lovely senior home, but it does not feel like home. Our sense of complete freedom has left us. My husband especially feels sad and depressed about the move we made which at that time seemed unavoidable. Looking back we feel as if we did not pay attention to what was happening, as if we were lived by other forces, mainly our adult children. I would love to go back to that moment we signed away the home we loved so much and put down my pen and say, “No, we will not sign”.
I hope that someone will take this information, this lament, and start talking about how seniors do not have to follow their children’s advice. We know that we did this to preserve the peace in our family, but at the cost of our peace of mind. The regret is gnawing at us and will always be there.
Thanks for listening.