Social network for older adults sets sights for northeastern Ontario expansion
CBC
A new social network aimed at adults ages 50 and over is expanding to northeastern Ontario.
Charlene Nadalin, who grew up in Sudbury, created Amintro to help her mother expand her social circle.
"I was just noticing that my mom's social circles were getting smaller as the years were progressing," she said. "My mom unfortunately was widowed in her mid-50s."
As her mother got older, Nadalin said she would hear the same stories from her because there wasn't much new happening in her life.
"And that was alarming for me," she said.
So Nadalin turned to technology to combat loneliness in older adults.
She said Amintro is different from social networks like Facebook, because it helps users connect with new people in their community.
When someone signs up with the social network, they set their location and can then choose a radius from that point. The network will only connect them with people within that radius.
"Our objective is to really support our seniors and aging well and healthily and thriving and enjoying life," Nadalin said.
The website also has a blog with articles on gardening, travel, health and many other issues and interests for people ages 50 and up.
But Nadalin said Amintro doesn't yet have a presence in northeastern Ontario.
To expand in the region, the federal government's New Horizons for Seniors program granted Amintro $25,000 to build a northeastern Ontario advisory committee to help it expand in the region, and also cater to French speakers.
Helen-Anne Bilodeau, of Iron Bridge, Ont., joined that committee.
Bilodeau said she knew someone who used the social network and was asked to join the advisory committee for northeastern Ontario.