Every senior should be able to age safely, in good health and with dignity, with the option to do so at home and in their community. To help with this, the Government of Canada developed the Age Well at Home initiative, which supports community groups in trying new ideas, expanding successful ones and recruiting volunteers to assist seniors in aging at home.
Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Minister of Seniors, announced an investment totaling up to $1,847,384 under the Age Well at Home initiative for two projects in the riding of Laurier-Sainte-Marie, in Quebec. Their projects started in July 2024, after they were selected as part of an open call for proposals under the Age Well at Home initiative.
Minister Guilbeault made the announcement while visiting Little Brothers. This organization is working in concert with community, and with other associations and organizations to provide services and enhance the sense of belonging among low-income or otherwise vulnerable seniors, thereby strengthening their connection to their community. Little Brothers will receive up to $1,245,266 in funding under the Scaling-Up for Seniors stream of the Age Well at Home initiative.
The second selected organization, Aînés et retraités de la communauté gaie (ARCG), is providing eligible practical support services, offered by volunteers, to low-income or otherwise vulnerable seniors to help them age well at home. Support to seniors will include tasks like meal preparation, transportation, and connecting seniors to other services in their area. ARCG will receive up to $602,118 in funding under the In-Home Support Pilot Project stream of the Age Well at Home initiative.
The organizations receiving funding through the Age Well at Home initiative are making a real difference in the daily lives of seniors in Canada. Collectively, these projects are addressing the specific needs of many different groups of seniors, including those with low incomes, Black or racialized seniors, Indigenous seniors, members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, those living in rural or remote areas, seniors in official language minority communities, newcomers and seniors who speak languages other than English or French.
