Over the past three decades, he has served in various capacities, all of which involved working with seniors.
Applebaum, executive director of Peel Senior Link, a Mississauga-based non-profit organization established in 1991 that maximizes independent living for seniors and helps them live with dignity, stability and safety, was recently acknowledged by the Canadian Healthcare Association for his dedication and competence.
The association presented him with the prestigious Marion Stephenson Award, a national honour reserved for those who contribute to the development of programs for seniors, especially those related to home-based care.
“Growing up, I spent a lot of time with both sets of grandparents and came to recognize the needs of the population,” Applebaum said. “I always felt seniors weren't being recognized by society because there wasn't an appreciation or acknowledgement of the value they brought to the community and family.”
It was that outlook that led him to study social services at Ryerson. Applebaum's career has also led him to work with federal and provincial governments in health and social services.
But everywhere he goes, he's determined to help seniors live with dignity in the community and not become isolated and institutionalized in nursing homes, away from their families.
During the 1980s, when Applebaum was chair of Health Canada, he introduced a national walking program. Today, the program is still running.
“The program motivated hundreds of thousands of seniors in the country to walk every day; it was that simple,” he said.
Applebaum was also instrumental in introducing United Generations Ontario, a program through which seniors and young people interact, each benefiting from the other in terms of life experience.
Applebaum said his work with Peel Senior Link is a continuation of his desire to bring dignity and joy into the lives of seniors and provide them with support.
He also works with the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network, where he manages the Aging at Home strategy.
rpanjwani@mississauga.net
