Grants Improve Seniors' Health and Safety
Government support will help Nova Scotia seniors live more comfortably and independently in their homes.
Fourteen non-profit groups providing direct service to seniors, as well as education and awareness of senior abuse and crime prevention, are receiving senior safety grants.
"The senior safety grant provides direct support and is a crucial investment at the community level to help seniors remain living safely in their homes and actively engaged in their future well-being and independence," said Sharon Elliott, co-ordinator of the Annapolis County Seniors' Safety Program.
The grants are used to provide information or services directly to seniors in their homes, or through group presentations and workshops at locations within the community. This includes one-on-one visits from safety co-ordinators, seminars with professional experts, and the production of various materials.
"Seniors have told us they want to stay in their homes longer and feel safe in their communities," said Minister of Seniors Leo Glavine. "These grants support community-based programs that create healthy, safe, inclusive and supportive communities for seniors to remain independent, contributing members of society for even longer."
The grants also support community-based senior safety programs that address senior abuse, promote crime prevention and raise awareness of safety and health issues for seniors.
To qualify, programs must demonstrate financial or in-kind community support and cover a large geographic area, typically a county.
"The money provided by the province was the starting point for our program. We were able to leverage the province's support to show the program's value and secure additional community funding to grow," said Paul Fynes, chair of South Shore Safe Communities. "Our program works on both preventative and intervention levels, from improving a senior's driving skills to helping someone with dementia function."
The 14 groups each receive up to $20,000, for a total of more than $278,000. Funding is provided by the departments of Seniors and Justice. The recipients are:
- Queens County Senior Safety Association
- Association des seniors en sécurité
- Pictou County Municipalities Crime Prevention Association
- Shelburne County Senior Safety and Services Society
- South Shore Safe Communities Initiative Association
- Cumberland African Nova Scotian Association
- Seniors' Safety Program Association of Hants County
- Annapolis County Seniors' Safety Program Association
- Yarmouth Town and County Crime Prevention Association
- Antigonish Town and County Crime Prevention Association
- Digby and Area Seniors' Safety Society
- Kings County Seniors' Safety Society
- The Canadian Red Cross Society, Halifax Regional Seniors' Safety Program
- Association for Safer Cape Breton Communities
For more information on the safety grants, visit http://novascotia.ca/seniors/senior_Safety_Grant.asp .