**** CNS Media Release
Province Provides Funding to Seniors Initiatives
—————————————————————-
NOTE: A list of funded projects is at the end of this news release.
—————————————————————-
The government is providing funding for 12 innovative projects to support seniors in their homes and communities.
Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Barbara Adams announced today, June 9, an investment of more than $8.6 million in new models of home care delivery, day programs, supportive equipment and more.
“In order to create a world-class healthcare system, we need to change the way we address the challenges in front of us,” said Minister Adams. “These initiatives represent some of our boldest ideas. I look forward to seeing how they can improve the well-being of older Nova Scotians and to seeing more innovative ideas for seniors care in the future.”
The Canadian Red Cross is one of the organizations that has received funding, for its Health Equipment Loan Program, which has newly purchased equipment plus items that have been donated and refurbished. The Red Cross will use $725,000 to purchase hundreds more of the highest-demand items like wheelchairs, walkers, beds and bathroom safety equipment.
Quotes:
“In the last fiscal year, more than 14,500 people across Nova Scotia benefitted from our free, short-term loans of 23,000 pieces of equipment to help them safely recover at home from illness, surgery or injuries. This generous funding will allow us to add significantly to our inventory, and equipment maintenance and distribution capacity.”
– Christina Baert-Wilson, Provincial Director, Nova Scotia, Canadian Red Cross
“VON is thrilled to be collaborating with the Nova Scotia government and our system partners on these transformative pilot projects. In addition to enhancing the way programs and services are delivered to home and community care clients, the pilots have also taken into consideration strategies to support both care providers and caregivers. We are very proud to be part of this important work.
– Jo-Anne Poirier, President and CEO, Victorian Order of Nurses
“Our goal is to support more people to live longer at home with family and friends in their communities. Older adults in Nova Scotia are diverse and therefore need a wide range of programs and services that can provide the care and support they need to live well. We are thrilled to see these investments in innovative solutions and to work with our continuing care partners in new and creative ways.”
– Susan Stevens, Senior Director of Continuing Care, Nova Scotia Health
Quick Facts:
— in 2021-22, almost 32,000 Nova Scotians received home care, including home support and nursing services
— also last year, more than 5,600 people received direct funding for care through provincial programs, including the Caregiver Benefit, Supportive Care, Self-Managed Care and Personal Alert Assistance
Additional Resources:
Action for Health, a strategic plan to address recent and long-standing problems in acute and primary care, long-term care, addictions and mental health: https://novascotia.ca/actionforhealth/
Community Links: https://nscommunitylinks.ca/
Mandate letter of the Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-SLTC.pdf
Funded initiatives:
— six demonstration projects for new models of home care delivery in four areas of the province that include low-income seniors housing, in partnership with Housing Nova Scotia – $3 million
— four Adult Day Program demonstration projects with added support for clients with dementia and other more complex care needs; these will complement in-home supports and respite in a group setting – $2 million
— workplace safety pilot projects to employ occupational therapists in each of the four health zones to support worker safety and safe mobility of home support clients – $900,000
— funding for three Community Links projects: establish a distribution network to provide micro-grants to senior-serving organizations and low-income seniors, targeting urgent community needs – $745,000; conduct an assessment of seniors’ centres and groups throughout the province to better understand their scope, distribution and impact on overall health – $250,000; and establish a “Seniors Centre Without Walls” demonstration project by connecting senior-serving organizations to provide older Nova Scotians with opportunities to participate in virtual (including phone-based) social and educational activities – $150,000
— Red Cross equipment loan program funding to buy more assistive devices – $725,000
— funding for Caregivers Nova Scotia to understand and assess unpaid caregiver support needs and develop a caregiver strategy in partnership with the Department – $300,000; and assess training needs and co-ordination of existing resources for caregivers – $250,000
— funding for Independent Living Nova Scotia to develop a co-ordinated payroll and human resources program to make the Self-managed Care Program more accessible for participants – $200,000
— support for the ALS Society of Nova Scotia to purchase specialized equipment for loan – $50,000
— funding for the Victorian Order of Nurses to buy digital medication dispensers – $50,000
