Funding Available to Enhance Seniors’ Wellness

Applications are now being accepted for the Healthy Aging Seniors Wellness Grants Program. The Provincial Government will provide a total investment of $200,000 for projects that focus on improving the overall health and well-being of seniors. Not-for-profit seniors’ organizations, retiree groups, Inuit community governments, and reserves are eligible to apply for funding.

“The Healthy Aging Seniors Wellness Grants Program encourages seniors to stay active and continue to contribute to their communities,” said the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services and Minister Responsible for Aging and Seniors. “With an aging population, our government is committed to providing seniors with the supports to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Our seniors are a valuable resource. They have helped build our province and it is our responsibility to ensure they have opportunities to continue to contribute.”

The Healthy Aging Seniors Wellness Grants Program is a component of the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework. The vision of the framework is for individuals, families, communities and society as a whole to foster healthy aging. The focus areas of the program include improved social connections, reduced social isolation, healthy eating, physical activity, injury prevention (including falls prevention), and tobacco control.

Grant applicants must describe how their proposed activities will support the principles of the Provincial Healthy Aging Policy Framework. Seniors must be involved in the planning and delivery of the proposed activity. Individual grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded.

“Promoting healthy aging is a shared responsibility that requires input from many partners working together,” said Minister Sullivan. “The Healthy Aging Seniors Wellness Grants Program allows community groups and organizations to develop programs with seniors and to create more age-friendly communities.”

Visit www.gov.nl.ca/health or call 729-4856 or 1-888-494-2266 to obtain an application package. The deadline for applications is February 29, 2012.

The Healthy Aging Seniors Wellness Grants Program complements the Provincial Wellness Grants Program which was established in 2005 as a component of the Provincial Wellness Plan. Since then, over 170 community-based projects throughout Newfoundland and Labrador have received approximately $3.5 million. Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador continued the annual investment of $4.1 million to implement the Provincial Wellness Plan.

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Media contact:
Jennifer Tulk
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 699-6524
jennifertulk@gov.nl.ca 

2012 01 26             11:05 a.m.