News Release

FLORENCEVILLE-BRISTOL (GNB) – Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Lisa Harris hosted a New Brunswick Family Plan summit on fostering healthy aging and support for seniors Monday in Florenceville-Bristol.

“New Brunswick has an opportunity to be a leader in delivering effective and sustainable long-term care and home support services to improve the quality of life for seniors,” said Harris. “Initiatives will focus on active and healthy aging in inclusive and age-friendly communities.

The recently-launched New Brunswick Family Plan Framework is intended to complement the Economic Growth Plan and 10-year education plans and aims to ensure that families are supported, resulting in a healthier province.

In addition to Monday’s summit on fostering healthy aging and support for seniors, six other summits focused on the remaining areas of the Family Plan will be held. The seven pillars of the plan are:  

• improving access to primary and acute care;
• promoting wellness;
• supporting people with mental health challenges
• fostering healthy aging and support for seniors;
• advancing women’s equality;
• reducing poverty; and
• supporting people with disabilities.

“Seniors want to stay in their homes as long as possible and they need the proper support to do so,” Harris said. “In order to help seniors enjoy an enhanced quality of life, we have to ensure they are able to easily access and navigate the services available to them.”

Discussions at the summit focused on the New Brunswick Council on Aging’s recent report to government and on the province’s Age-Friendly Community Recognition Program. The family plan will also focus on improving access to home and community-based support and providing a responsive and integrated system that is centred on rehabilitation and reablement.