Centre of Rural Aging, Health opens in Port Hawkesbury
Seniors in the Port Hawkesbury will benefit from a new partnership aimed at supporting them in aging well.
The new centre of Rural Aging and Health, a partnership between the province and Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), is operating out of the local NSCC campus and will offer activities, education and services tailored to the needs of local seniors. A second centre is opening in
Shelburne.
“Seniors have helped to build our communities and deserve to have the supports they need to remain active in these communities,” said Minister of Seniors and Longterm Care Barbara Adams in a news release. “These centres offer a central spot where seniors can come together to socialize, exercise and get tips and lessons that will help them at home.”
Programming will focus on safety, injury prevention, physical activity, nutrition and social connections.
Local organizations and partners will offer workshops on topics like cybersecurity, estate planning and pharmacy health-care services. Classes might include things like dance, knitting, rug hooking, mindfulness and yoga.
NSCC faculty and students will also lead some sessions, passing along knowledge from their programs in areas such as plumbing and culinary skills. Involving students provides opportunity for intergenerational learning and enhances their education.
The new hubs are modelled on the pilot Centre of Rural Aging and Health (CORAH), launched at the NSCC Annapolis Valley campus in Middleton in 2021. More than 100 volunteers have participated in the delivery of more than 1,100 sessions since the centre opened there.
The province is providing funding of more than $425,000 to expand to the two additional sites.
Registration for programming at the Port Hawkesbury Centre of Rural Aging and Health at NSCC’S Strait Area campus has already opened. More information is available by emailing corah.strait@ nscc.ca.
Helping local communities support seniors with information and education and connecting seniors with services and resources is part of Action for Health, the government’s plan to improve health care.