Federal Government Commits $75 Million for Senior Health Research Project in New Brunswick

Federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor talks with reporters after addressing the Canadian Public Health Association's annual Public Health conference in Montreal on Thursday, May 31, 2018. New Brunswick is becoming a laboratory for Canadian research on better aging. The federal health minister has announced a $75 million pilot project in the province that she says will help develop national solutions to improve seniors' quality of life.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson

The Public Health Agency of Canada is investing $75 millions in New Brunswick’s Healthy Senior Pilot Project, following up on a commitment the federal government made in the 2018 budget.

The project will provide information “on how to better support seniors in their homes, communities, and care facilities,” the agency said in a press release.

The federal government’s focus is on studying how to tackle the ongoing aging crisis with new solutions.

“This project will also lay the groundwork for informing national solutions that can improve the quality of life for Canada’s older population,” said Ginette Petitpas Taylor, the federal minister of health.

Guidelines for funding are outlined in a report developed by the province’s Council on Aging, whose members were appointed in 2016 by New Brunswick’s premier.

The report outlines that the focus should be placed on the seniors needs rather than on existing outdated policies, and calls for reforms.

Further details on how the government plans to accomplish what is set in the report as well as information on how different groups can apply for funding under the project will be made available in July 2018.

New Brunswick has one of the highest percentage of people over 65 in Canada. According to the Council on Aging, 31.3 percent of New Brunswick’s population will be seniors by 2038. The projected national figure is considerably lower at 24 percent.