Cape Breton Island 
In an innovative effort to enhance the independence of senior citizens, a new pilot program, CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders), is being introduced in several areas in Nova Scotia including the Preston area, Kings County, and the Halifax peninsula.
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This initiative, a first in Canada, is designed to assist seniors in living more independently within their own homes.
The CAPABLE program involves a team of professionals including a registered nurse, an occupational therapist, and a handyperson. These experts will collaborate with seniors to evaluate and address their specific needs in daily living and home environments. The objective is to facilitate seniors’ ability to age comfortably in their own homes.
The program’s practical interventions may encompass a range of modifications. These include suggesting exercises for better strength and mobility, medication reviews, home layout changes like furniture rearrangement, removing carpets for safety, adjusting the placement of commonly used items for easier access, enhancing home safety and accessibility features such as installing grab bars, raised toilet seats, lever faucets, and door handles, and repairing steps.
VON Nova Scotia will be responsible for delivering the CAPABLE pilot. This organization will collaborate with community groups to identify and refer eligible seniors. The pilot will accept 300 seniors, with 100 from each designated area. Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore originally developed this program.
Seniors from Cherry Brook, Lake Loon, North Preston, East Preston, and the surrounding area can currently apply, with applications for those in Kings County and the Halifax peninsula opening in early 2024.
Eligibility criteria include being 65 or older, having physical or mobility challenges, and either having a net income below $85,000 or receiving income assistance, the Province’s heating assistance rebate, or the guaranteed income supplement from Service Canada.
“We know that seniors want to stay in their homes and the communities they helped to build and shape,” said Barbara Adams, Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care in a news release. “In many cases, this can be achieved with some simple changes to their homes and day-to-day activities. By testing innovative programs like CAPABLE, we’re giving seniors back their independence.”
The government’s investment of $2 million in the CAPABLE pilot is part of the “Action for Health” plan, aimed at improving healthcare across various demographics. This pilot also aims to assess the program’s effectiveness in both rural and urban settings.
More Information:
Seniors can get more information and apply by calling 1-888-925-6101 or Online
