Unique Approach Expanding to Help Connect Older Nova Scotians to Their Communities
Staying healthy, active and connected to your community is important as you age. That is why government is asking those involved in a well-established adult day program in the Annapolis Valley to create a model other rural communities can use to start their own programs to support older Nova Scotians.
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) is receiving $210,000 from the province to build on the success of the Adult Day Program that started at its Annapolis Valley Campus in Middleton 10 years ago. It is a caregiver respite care program offering recreation and social programming for seniors. NSCC students also help seniors with haircuts and styling, preparing meals and staying socially active.
The investment will allow NSCC to work with its partners, including Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA), to develop best practices to help other communities interested in starting a Centre of Rural Aging and Health (CORAH) program. The goal is to make it easier for older Nova Scotians to access services and resources in their communities by offering them in one location. It will be expanded to three more communities across the province.
“We want to leverage the great work happening at NSCC’s Annapolis Valley Campus and see how we can apply its knowledge to help other communities benefit from this innovative co-operative approach,” said Premier Stephen McNeil. “We hope more communities will look to start programs like this to support aging Nova Scotians in their communities.”
The college will develop an evaluation framework to ensure subsequent programs meet the needs of seniors and the communities they serve. NSCC is also developing a Community Transportation Map of Nova Scotia to enable seniors to navigate their communities.
Quotes:
“Through programs and partnerships such as the Adult Day Program and now CORAH, we’re leveraging the immense strength of the college to inspire sustainable, vibrant, resilient communities. It’s my hope that NSCC’s culture of collaboration, which is so plainly infused into this project, will not only work to improve the health and well-being of our province’s seniors, it will serve as a demonstration of what’s possible when partners in industry, community and government come together.”
– Don Bureaux, president, Nova Scotia Community College
“With help from many people along the way, my husband Fred and I were able to access the many resources we needed during his journey with Parkinson’s. The Adult Day Program in Middleton stands out because it kept him healthy in mind and body, and the social interaction with the staff and the other clients, as well as the NSCC students, daycare children and other visitors was invaluable.”
– Maggie Rice, caregiver to her late husband Fred Rice
“The Adult Day Program has enhanced our studies by allowing us to see the joy that spending quality time together to chat and learn about new topics can bring to the people who participate. It’s reinforced my desire to work hard in my studies as a continuing care assistant student and to give back to seniors in my community.”
– Carly Dawn Floris, continuing care certificate student, NSCC Annapolis Valley Campus
Quick Facts:
- CORAH is a partnership with NSCC, NSHA, the Department of Seniors and other stakeholders in the home care and long-term care sectors
- CORAH supports the SHIFT Action Plan goal of supporting aging in place, connected to community life and addresses loneliness among older Nova Scotians
- the creation of the CORAH pilot starts work to address a recommendation of the Expert Advisory Panel for Long Term Care to establish hubs of community care
- funding comes from the Canada-Nova Scotia Home and Community Care and Mental Health and Addictions Services Funding Agreement
Additional Resources:
Adult Day Program: https://www.von.ca/en/annapolis/service/adult-day-program
SHIFT: Nova Scotia’s Action Plan for an Aging Population: https://novascotia.ca/shift/