亚洲天堂 Lake councillor Susan Schienbein has worked successfully on behalf of village council to secure provincial funding in the form of an 鈥楢ge-Friendly B.C.鈥� grant.  The $17,400 grant will be used to develop strategies to meet the needs of older 亚洲天堂 Lake residents.

According to Minister of State for Seniors, Ralph Sultan, the goal of the age-friendly grant is to improve quality of life for B.C. seniors.

鈥淪uccessful projects focus on a wide range of supports to make life easier for older residents,鈥� said Sultan.  鈥淢any of the programs support seniors to remain socially active and connected to their communities and are helping to reduce isolation.鈥�

One such program is the Home Adaptations For Independence (HAFI) program which provides financial aid to help seniors in financial need to continue living in their own homes.  The program is funded by both the federal and provincial governments and aids with the installation of things like handrails, wheelchair ramps, walk-in showers and other permanent home improvements.

People aren鈥檛 necessarily aware that these kinds of programs exist to help seniors.  Schienbein hopes that this funding will mark a move towards making these kinds of programs more well-known within the community.

At the Jan. 8, 2013 Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake council meeting, Schienbein said that these funds would enable the Lakes District Seniors Society to take the lead and work with the Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake in developing a strong framework to meet the needs of seniors in the 亚洲天堂 Lake area.

The funding came out of work done back in October of 2012 when Northern Health and the Village of 亚洲天堂 Lake has a 鈥楶artnering for Healthier Communities鈥� meeting.

鈥淲e identified a number of health-related issues for 亚洲天堂 Lake and the Lakes District,鈥� said Schienbein.  鈥淭here was a strong voice around planning and the needs of seniors.鈥�

Going forward, Schienbein has meetings scheduled with the president of the Lakes Senior Society.  They will develop a plan to bring better awareness to services and plans available to seniors in the region.