Our province is home to an aging population, so it is important to ensure that seniors age with dignity. It is in this spirit that Budget 2024 introduces unprecedented measures to support the health and well-being of seniors.

Seniors’ Well-Being Plan

Budget 2024 includes $10 million for a Seniors’ Well-Being Plan, which will help seniors by providing:

• Grants to low income seniors living at home, for supportive services such as snow clearing and grocery delivery.
• Increased investments for home repair and modifications for seniors.
• Financial benefits to caregivers of clients who are seniors with complex needs living at home.
• Enhanced immune response influenza vaccines to seniors 65 years of age and older.
• Financial assistance for food and heating for seniors in coastal Labrador communities.
• Expanded 211 navigation service for seniors and Indigenous Peoples.

Community Long-Term Care and End of Life Care

Budget 2024 supports seniors who live in community and long-term care settings, including:

• $3.5 million to create dementia inclusive environments in 42 long-term care facilities.
• More than $1.1 million for operational funding for the Lionel Kelland Hospice in Grand Falls- Windsor. This brings our annual investment to $2.3 million.
• Funding six nurse practitioner positions to support the Home Dementia Care Program.

Centres of Excellence in Aging

To improve access and quality of health care services for seniors, our government is establishing centres of excellence in aging at regional hospitals. The centres of excellence in aging are supported by a $6 million investment. These investments will include:

• The creation of acute care of the elderly units.
• Seniors-friendly emergency care at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, and the new Western Memorial Regional Hospital, and the new emergency department at the Health Sciences Centre.

Supporting Inclusion through Community Partnerships

Our government recognizes that seniors experience high levels of loneliness and disconnection from the community. Budget 2024 includes initiatives to help bridge that gap. They include:

• $400,000 for the Alzheimer Society to provide dementia support and education to health care providers and the public.
• $200,000 to continue the Seniors’ Social Inclusion Initiative which offers funding to eligible seniors serving clubs and organizations to help increase intergenerational interactions and participation in healthy aging, and mental health and well-being activities.
• $175,000 to support intergenerational activities within communities and schools.
• $95,000 for the Age-Friendly Newfoundland and Labrador Communities Program. This funding is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure seniors and older adults remain healthy, active, and engaged citizens who are able to live in age-friendly communities.

Helping Seniors with the Cost of Living

A high cost of living impacts all residents but for seniors on a fixed income that impact can be more pronounced. Cost of living initiatives included as part of Budget 2024 include:

• No new taxes, tax increases, or fee increases.
• Continuing the 8.05 cent per litre (includes HST) reduction on the price of gasoline and diesel.
• Continuing the 50 per cent reduction off the cost of registering passenger vehicles, trucks and taxis.
• Maintaining free driver medicals for people 75 and older.
• Continued removal of the 15 per cent retail sales tax on home insurance.
• Maintaining the home heating supplement that provides up to $500 to residents who rely on furnace or stove oil to heat their home.
• $85 million for the Income Supplement, which includes the 15 per cent increase over the last two years. The supplement benefits more than 150,000 families and individuals.
• $70.3 million for the Seniors’ Benefit, which includes the 15 per cent increase over the last two years. This benefit helps almost 50,000 seniors aged 65 or older.
• $130 million for the provincial-federal fuel switching and energy efficiency incentive, which has the potential to help households transition to electricity, which is a cheaper, greener, and more reliable way to heat a home.