Vancouver, British Columbia – Employment and Social Development

Older Canadians across the country will soon have new opportunities to address social isolation thanks to the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP), today announced the Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors).

Twenty organizations across Canada will receive a total of $1.4 million in NHSP funding for their innovative projects addressing the social isolation of seniors and providing opportunities for intergenerational learning between older Canadians and youth.

Among these organizations, Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House is receiving more than $57,000 through the NHSP pilot project to test brain fitness software and activities aimed at helping seniors.

Older Canadians, including those with declining mental health and cognitive impairments such as memory problems, will benefit from this program. A brain wellness manual will be developed in consultation with seniors, academics and community professionals. Youth and seniors will work together to deliver the training program to help older Canadians increase their social networks and become more engaged in their communities.

Quick facts

• The NHSP 2013–2014 Call for Proposals for Pilot Projects was launched on October 3, 2013, and closed on November 13, 2013.
• Each of the approved 20 innovative pilot projects will receive between $39,872 and $100,000 of federal funding and have a maximum duration of 24 months. This funding will be matched with funding from sources other than the federal government.
• On May 12, 2014, the NHSP Call for Proposals for Community-Based Projects was launched. The call will close on July 4, 2014.
• Economic Action Plan 2014 proposes an additional $5 million per year for the NHSP to support additional projects that benefit seniors.
• Since 2006, the NHSP has funded more than 13,000 projects in hundreds of communities across Canada.

Quotes

" Community building takes a lot of hard work, especially to reach seniors, many of whom are at risk of becoming lonely and isolated. Our government is proud to work with organizations like Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House that find innovative solutions to address seniors’ issues, particularly social isolation."

– The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State (Seniors)

 

" We are pleased to have received a grant from the Government of Canada’s NHSP to fund our project. Neighbourhood houses are central to working with vulnerable seniors, and through our work we are able to see emerging needs. Cities for Seniors aims to form community and university partnerships to explore tools that will support seniors with mild cognitive impairment and ensure the program is fully implemented in the neighbourhood after the initial development phase."

– Jocelyne Hamel, Executive Director, Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House