Provincial government announces help for seniors

The provincial government announced a new opportunity for seniors in this December 14 press release -

Seniors in Northumberland-Quinte West and surrounding areas will now have more opportunities to get and stay healthy through new programs being delivered by local organizations.

The province’s Healthy Communities Fund (HCF) provides support to not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, public health units, aboriginal and first nations organizations who form partnerships to deliver projects focusing on at least two factors that improve health. These may include: physical activity, sport and recreation, healthy eating, tobacco free living, injury prevention and mental health promotion.

A provincial grant of $20,523 to VON Hastings, Northumberland, Prince Edward will help seniors in Northumberland-Quinte West and surrounding areas gain access the following programs:

SMART (Seniors Maintaining Active Roles Together) will benefit seniors from low-income populations with lower functional fitness levels. SMART is a group exercise program with healthy eating and lifestyle components for seniors who would otherwise slip through the system due to social isolation or lack of accessible programs. SMART offers physical activities that enable the older adult to increase their functional fitness. Classes are taught by Senior Fitness Instructors who are VON trained volunteers. The SMART program addresses determinants of health related to aging such as creating social support networks, providing educational development related to exercise and aging with increased access to health services through the VON.