The provincial and federal governments have announced a successful project from round one of the $75-million Healthy Seniors Pilot Project.
The project, called Nursing Homes Without Walls, will explore the extension of support services offered in nursing homes to seniors still living at home.
“We know New Brunswick’s senior population is rising rapidly,” said Social Development Minister Dorothy Shephard in a release. “We need to be certain that supports are in place to care for our seniors in the same way they have spent their lives caring for us. Projects that are approved under the Healthy Seniors Pilot Project will help to create a positive aging experience for New Brunswickers and keep seniors happy, healthy and independent.”
The pilot project was announced last June and will be carried out over three years.
It focuses on research initiatives to better understand the effects of aging and to improve the quality of life of seniors.
“We believe this pilot project will demonstrate that nursing homes, especially in rural areas, can have an expanded role in supporting seniors who want to stay in their homes in the community,” said Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard, director of the Research Centre on Aging at the Université de Moncton. “It is a new service model that we are excited to implement.”
The project will be tested in four sites: Westford Nursing Home in Port Elgin; Résidences Inkerman in Inkerman; Manoir Edith B. Pinet in Paquetville; and Résidences Lucien Saindon in Lamèque.
Funding for the Healthy Seniors Pilot Project was announced as part of the 2018 federal budget, and supports projects that will align with the New Brunswick Aging Strategy. You can find more information about the pilot project online.
