[News] Government of Canada funds three projects in Alberta to empower seniors to age in their homes

News release

July 17, 2023       Gatineau, Quebec       Employment and Social Development Canada

After a lifetime of hard work, seniors want to live healthy, safe and independent lives. Many seniors want to stay in the homes they built and the communities that support them for as long as possible. The Government of Canada is committed to helping seniors to age in the right place.

Today, the Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera, announced $1.68 Million in funding for three projects in Alberta under scaling-up for Senior’s stream of the Age Well at Home initiative. The Minister made the announcement while visiting the Drive Happiness Seniors Association in Edmonton, which will receive $556,634 for their Rural Access to Transportation Expansion. The Drive Happiness project will expand volunteer-assisted transportation for seniors and increase access to in-home supports in urban and rural settings in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The selected projects will make a real difference in the lives of seniors. For example, the Parkinson Association of Alberta, which has also received funding, will expand support services for people living with and affected by Parkinson disease. Additionally, the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association will provide services aimed at helping low-income racialized immigrants and newcomer seniors age in place.

Through the Age Well at Home initiative, various organizations are being funded that meet the needs of diverse groups of seniors, including seniors who have a low income, are Black or racialized, Indigenous, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, seniors who live in rural and remote settings, members of official language minority communities (OLMCs), newcomers, or seniors who speak a language other than English or French.

This announcement builds on the Government’s commitment to improving the quality of life of seniors. To strengthen the financial security of the most vulnerable seniors, the Government of Canada increased both the Old Age Security by 10% for seniors aged 75 and older, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement up to $947 annually for low-income single seniors. Importantly, these benefits are indexed to ensure they can keep up with the cost of living and they can never go down. Budget 2023 introduces the new Canadian Dental Care Plan which will become accessible to eligible seniors by the end of 2023. Upon full implementation, the program will help up to 9 million uninsured Canadians to get the dental care they need and help ensure they don’t have to choose between taking care of their health and paying the bills at the end of the month. Through Budget 2023, the Government is also providing one-time Grocery Rebate to help the Canadians hardest hit by the rising of food prices. Seniors were among those who received additional funds in their pockets on July 5th.

Quotes

“When I meet with seniors, many often express their desire to age independently in their own homes and remain in the communities to which they have contributed so much. Senior serving organizations are the experts on the ground who best understand the needs of seniors in order to help them age in the right place. Through the Age Well at Home initiative, we are expanding successful initiatives that have demonstrated results in one region to other parts of the country, thereby supporting more seniors to age in the right place.”

– Minister of Seniors, Kamal Khera

"We have a responsibility to care for those who built our country. Every senior in Canada deserves to live in dignity, safety, and comfort, regardless of where they live. Through the Age Well at Home initiative, we’re supporting seniors in Edmonton and ensuring they have what they need to live on their own terms and stay in their homes for as long as they want.”

– Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Randy Boissonnault

“Drive Happiness deeply appreciates the continued support and guidance from the federal government. Funding through the Age Well at Home Initiative will allow Drive Happiness to scale-up its important work to seniors in Alberta and Saskatchewan, helping volunteers provide seniors access to in-home supports in both urban and rural settings. Our organization and volunteers look forward to working closely with the Government of Canada for the next three years as we make this initiative a reality. We are tremendously excited to see the impact our work will have on the lives of seniors and their ability to age in place.”

– Executive Director of Drive Happiness, Liza Bouchard

"In order to have an equitable city that everyone can enjoy, we must ensure seniors can continue to live full and active lives while aging in the place they choose. One in ten Edmontonian is a senior and this grant will help organizations that serve them continue to provide support and grow. I hear from seniors about ways we can make life more affordable and accessible and I'm glad to see the federal government stepping up to address their needs."

– Mayor of Edmonton, His Worship the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi

Quick facts

• Seniors are one of Canada’s fastest-growing population groups. They will represent almost 25% of the population by 2057 and could reach close to 11 million people within 15 years.
• Budget 2021 announced $90 million in grants and contributions and operational funding over three years for the Age Well at Home initiative. The initiative has been extended and will run until 2025-2026.
• The Age Well at Home initiative provides funding to seniors-serving organizations for local, regional and national projects which will allow for the discovery of new approaches and learnings to support seniors:
• Projects funded under the Scaling-up for Seniors stream will expand services that have already demonstrated positive results in helping seniors age at home. This funding will help organizations to expand services to reach more seniors, including in different provinces or territories. Projects were selected through a nationwide open Call for Proposals held in 2022;
• Projects funded under the In-Home Support Pilot Projects stream will test the extent to which volunteers can be mobilized to provide local practical supports such as meals, housekeeping, and yard work to help low-income and otherwise vulnerable seniors age at home. Organizations will also help seniors navigate and access existing local services.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Age Well At Home Initiative