Province, Municipalities to Support Age-friendly Communities

The Department of Seniors and the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities (UNSM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding today, Nov.6, to support communities working on making structures and services more inclusive and accessible to Nova Scotians of all ages.

The department's Age-Friendly Communities initiatives help municipalities meet increasing age-related needs within their communities. Projects from last year include an accessible gazebo for social gatherings and a shallow area and portable aquatic lift at a swimming pool to improve accessibility for children, disabled persons, and seniors. Age-friendly features like these help seniors in particular lead independent, active lives.

"The department's role in the partnership will be to supply municipalities with resources to help plan, fund, and implement their ideas," said Denise Peterson-Rafuse, Minister of Seniors. "This support will be based on work done nationally and internationally--through the World Health Organization--on creating age-friendly communities."

"We'll roll this out with the help of Community Champions," said Warden Lloyd Hines, President of UNSM. "These will be people who understand that age-friendly thinking and planning is one key way we can respond to an aging population."

The Memorandum of Understanding builds on the department's success with the Age-Friendly Community Grants, a funding initiative launched in 2008. To date, participating municipalities have proposed and implemented 32 age-friendly projects.

The Department of Seniors is also inviting new grant applications until Dec. 18. The total amount of funding available will be up to $220,000. Individual grants will cover half the cost of projects up to a maximum of $5,000, with municipalities providing the other half.

"These grants represent more than just partnership funding for projects," said Ms. Peterson-Rafuse. "Age-friendly municipalities know the value of making sure seniors have full enjoyment of all their community has to offer, and that community members have the benefit of all seniors have to offer."

More information on the program, funding applications and lists of past grant recipients are available at www.gov.ns.ca/seniors/agefriendlyComm.asp .