December 19, 2023 ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR Employment and Social Development Canada
Every senior deserves to age in health, in safety, and in dignity. Everyone should have the choice to age at home, in their communities. The Government of Canada created the Age Well at Home Initiative to help more seniors do this. This program supports community organizations to pilot new approaches, scale up effective, existing ones, and mobilize volunteers to help seniors age at home.
Today, the Minister for Seniors, Seamus O'Regan Jr., announced $39.6 million in funding for 71 pilot projects across Canada that will mobilize volunteers to support lower-income or otherwise vulnerable seniors in their homes. These projects were selected after an open call for proposals held in summer 2022, under the In-Home Support Pilot Project stream of the Age Well at Home initiative. Work on implementing the Age Well at Home initiative in Quebec is ongoing.
The Minister made the announcement while visiting Connections for Seniors in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, which will receive $798,846 for their Community Outreach Program. Connections for Seniors will use this funding to expand the availability of its practical in-home support services to up to 2,000 older adults in the St. John's area.
The seniors-serving organizations receiving this funding make a real difference in the everyday lives of Canadian seniors. Through their projects, organizations will help seniors with meal preparation, light housekeeping or transportation, and help them navigate and access other available services in their local area. These projects will also support the unique needs of diverse groups of seniors, including seniors who have a low income, are Black or racialized, Indigenous, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, seniors who live in rural and remote settings, are members of official language minority communities, newcomers and seniors who speak a language other than English or French.
