Enabling Aging in Place

Flagstaff’s Informed Response Sharing Team (FIRST) (Flagstaff County, Alberta)

Flagstaff’s Informed Response Sharing Team (FIRST) provides a range of supports for older adults in Flagstaff County, Alberta to enable them to age in place.

Flagstaff Senior’s CHOICES Program

The program is designed to help older adults remain safe, independent, and connected within their home communities for as long as possible. It focuses on providing practical supports such as home maintenance, transportation, and referrals to health and social resources, while also fostering meaningful engagement through volunteer visits, education sessions and group activities.

Senior’s CHOICES also aims to bridge service gaps in rural areas by strengthening collaboration among municipalities, community organizations and health partners.

Through these coordinated efforts, the program works to enhance quality of life, support aging in place, preventing premature entry into long-term care, and building a supportive network where older adults feel valued, included, and connected to their community.

Notable impact: Enabling older adults to continue to age safely and independently in the community by providing relationship-based and community embedded supports.

Learn more about Flagstaff’s Informed Response Sharing Team (FIRST).

Town of Stony Plain (Stony Plain, Alberta)

The Town of Stony Plain is leading this initiative with the support of regional community collaborations.  

The Aging in Place Community Collaborative

The Aging in Place Community Collaborative envisions a safe and caring community that values the well-being of older adults, vulnerable adults and care partners. The goal is to enable vulnerable residents with health and social needs to age well in community no matter what stage of life they are in. Key activities included establishing a Community Connector position for personalized support and referrals, continuous evaluation and improvement of programs and services, increasing awareness through community outreach and training sessions and building a robust collaborative with diverse interest holders.  

The overall mission is to reduce barriers, enhance access to support services, and create a supportive environment that empowers older adults to age well.

Notable impact: Supporting older adults’ health and social needs through a coordinated community response to enable more older adults to age where they call home in the community.

Learn more about the Town of Stony Plain.

Dignity Seniors Society (British Columbia)

Dignity Seniors Society (DSS) is a non-profit organization focused exclusively on the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults in British Columbia.

We Are Familee – Rainbow Circle

The We are Familee program is designed to create meaningful, trusted connections between volunteers and older adults in the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. The program goal is that the volunteer, with DSS support, can help the program participant build a robust support network to help them stay in their homes for longer and more safely.

The program developed video training modules focusing on the specific needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults, incorporating a strength-based, trauma-informed approach to reduce stigma and discrimination while promoting cultural and intersectionality awareness.

By creating a sustainable, volunteer-led initiative, the program aims to address the systemic challenges faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults, particularly those experiencing social isolation, poverty and health inequities.

DSS is working to expand this initiative across British Columbia, offering specialized training for other "Aging in Place" programs, leveraging their history of providing education to health authorities and non-profit organizations in the healthcare field. 

Notable impact: Improved mental health, physical health and social connections for 2SLGBTQIA+ older adult participants.

Learn more about Dignity Seniors Society (DSS).

Fraser Health (British Columbia)

Fraser Health is leading the implementation of the NetCare Connect at Home program to expand their Day Program for Older Adults and support of older adults and their care partners to age in place in the Fraser Health region in British Columbia.

NetCare Connect at Home

Fraser Health’s Day Program for Older Adults (DPOA) has expanded to include the NetCare Connect at Home program. This virtual program includes gentle Carefit exercises, bingo and interactive falls prevention education.

These activities address modifiable factors that contribute to frailty in older adults which can lead to adverse outcomes, including falls. The NetCare virtual program is working to reduce this risk by increasing social connection, physical activity and cognitive stimulation – factors that can prevent increasing frailty.

The NetCare Connect at Home program aims to increase social connections and reduce isolation, improve older adult health and well-being to avoid increasing frailty, increase older adults’ comfort and confidence with technology and support older adults to age in place, delaying entry to long-term care or assisted living.

Notable impact: Improving older adult participants’ health and well-being, social connections and physical health to avoid increasing frailty.

Learn more about NetCare Connect at Home in the promising practice.

Hornby Denman Health (Hornby Island and Denman Island, British Columbia)

Hornby Denman Health is a multi-service non-profit organization and charity dedicated to optimizing the health and well-being of residents of Denman Island and Hornby Island, British Columbia.  

Home Assist: Community-Based Services for Seniors

The Home Assist program recognizes the need for personalized, non-medical supports such as instrumental activities of daily living for individuals to maintain their quality of life through the aging journey. This is especially important in these communities because there are no long-term care homes on the islands.

The Home Assist program provides enhanced care coordination with centralized, trusted, local support contacts and information packages. It ensures accessible social and emotional supports for isolated older adults while also providing sustainable, flexible, reliable and integrated services that respond to individual and community needs. The gifts of the local communities feature prominently in the program offerings.

These essential community-based supports help Island older adults live independently and manage their own care choices.

Notable impact: Supporting older adults to age in their community and avoid institutional placement through their flexible approach focused on maintaining well-being, safety and dignity.   

Learn more about Home Assist Community-Based Services for Seniors in the promising practice.

Mayne Island Assisted Living Society (Mayne Island, British Columbia)

Mayne Island Assisted Living Society in collaboration with Mayne Island Health Centre Association are building on existing community assets to improve the quality of life for older adults living on Mayne Island, British Columbia providing them with supports and building capacity to age in place. 

Home Is Where the Heart Is Improvement Bundle

The Home Is Where the Heart Is Improvement Bundle is jointly resourced and delivered by the Mayne Island Assisted Living Society and the Mayne Island Health Centre Association and is designed to support Mayne Island's aging population.

The program includes services such as a community bus program to enhance mobility and access to healthcare services, addressing the need for reliable transportation to health specialist appointments.

The navigator program provides personalized assistance in accessing and utilizing community and health resources.

The home safety initiatives ensure older adults’ homes are safe, reducing the risk of accidents and improving living conditions.

The mental health support program for family members caring for aging Islanders, offers resources and support to address emotional and psychological well-being.  

Notable impact: Supporting older adults to age in place safely and with increased social connections.

Learn more about Mayne Island Assisted Living Society.

Terrace Regional Hospice Network Society (Terrace, British Columbia)

The team leading this initiative is Terrace Regional Hospice Network Society (TRHNS) in collaboration with Nav-CARE, United Way, Abbeyfield, and Pacific Northwest Division of Family Practice.

Volunteer Program

The volunteer program at Terrace Regional Hospice Network Society provides support to numerous programs that enable older adults to age in place.

Programs such as Nav-CARE are designed to support individuals with declining health through trained volunteer navigators. These volunteers assist with locating local services, providing transportation, re-engaging in hobbies, offering guidance for important decisions, and relieving feelings of loneliness and anxiety.  

Volunteers support other programs as well including meal delivery and delivery of medical equipment, among others. The program team ensures volunteers are well prepared to support older adults receiving services.

Notable impact: Building and expanding volunteer program to better support older adults in the community.

Learn more about Terrace Regional Hospice Network Society (TRHNS).

Actionmarguerite (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

​​Actionmarguerite is a not-for-profit organization providing a range of health and social services to the older adult Francophone and larger community. Actionmarguerite and Résidence Despins operate Supportive Housing programs in Winnipeg, Manitoba where there are increasing levels of acuity in the older adults living in these communities.

​Supportive Housing Program

​The Supportive Housing program focused on enhancing its existing services by adopting a person-directed living approach and continuously evolving the program to better meet the more complex needs of the population living in supportive housing.

​The program focused on improving continuity of care, fostering stronger relationships between staff and tenants, and offering timely, flexible services, including care in French. They focused on shifting their organizational culture through the integration of a person-directed living model of care.

​By addressing issues such as loneliness and ensuring culturally appropriate care, the program seeks to increase tenant satisfaction, extend their stay in supportive housing, reduce emergency department visits and hospital admissions, and delay admissions to personal care homes, ultimately improving the overall quality of life for tenants and the effectiveness of the local health system. 

​Notable impact: The culture shift to focus on providing person-directed living for older adults living in supportive housing.

Learn more about Actionmarguerite

Prairie Mountain Health (Manitoba)

The organization leading this initiative is Prairie Mountain Health (PMH), which provides healthcare services to a large rural area in southwestern Manitoba.  

Services to Seniors- Ideas Fairs

The Services to Seniors program supports older adults and their care partners to navigate local health and community services through a centralized telephone line.

To support navigation coordinators in providing up-to-date information across the health region, the PMH team has developed a central database of programs, services and supports that enable older adults to age in place.   

To develop the database the team travelled to communities within the PMH region to explore the supports available in each local community, completing asset mapping and hosting ideas fairs. The ideas fairs convened by PMH aim to engage the community in helping to develop community assets. They bring together community members and groups to learn from and with each other about what is already strong within their communities, and to identify new opportunities to support older adults.   

The ideas fairs have not only helped foster connections within communities but also set the Services to Seniors team up for success in supporting older adults and their care partners across the health region to age in place. 

Notable impact: Supporting older adults and their care partners to navigate local health and community services, by connecting and building on existing strengths of the communities.

Learn more about Services to Seniors- Ideas Fairs in the promising practice.

Conne River Health & Social Services (Miawpukek First Nation) (Conne River, Newfoundland and Labrador)

The organization leading this program is Conne River Health and Social Services (CRHSS), a department of Miawpukek First Nation. They partnered with other departments of Miawpukek First Nation such as housing, culture and tourism and recreation through this program.  

Wellness Visits

CRHSS expanded services to include regular Wellness Visits to community members 65 years old and older. Home visits are provided at least once a month by a community health nurse (CHN) and include a general overall assessment including vital signs, medical history, home safety checks, nutrition and other assessments. Referrals are made by the CHN to other appropriate services based on needs identified during the Wellness visit and clients will be supported to navigate these services.

Learn more about Conne River Health & Social Services.

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (Newfoundland Labrador)

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services leads this initiative, with team members including interdisciplinary representatives from each geographic zone (Eastern Urban, Eastern Rural, Western, Central, Labrador-Grenfell).

Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) Units and Model of Care

The Acute Care of the Elderly (ACE) model in Newfoundland and Labrador provides older adults admitted to hospital with specialized care for acute medical conditions, frailty, and age-related issues. 

ACE units are designed to provide person-centred care with integrated clinical support and care pathways designed specifically for older adults. This care is provided by an interdisciplinary team and can decrease older adults’ length of stay, prevent deconditioning and social isolation, enhance their ability to safely return home and minimize readmissions.  

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services successfully launched their first ACE Unit at Western Memorial Regional Hospital in June 2024 and their second ACE Unit at St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, in June 2025. 

Notable impact: Supporting more older adults to return directly to the community after discharge from acute care, avoiding long-term care placement.

Learn more about ACE units and model of care in the promising practice.

Department of Health, Government of Nunavut (Nunavut)

The organization leading this initiative is the Department of Health, Government of Nunavut.

Community-Based Palliative Care through CADD Pumps 

The team planned for a pilot implementation of Continuous Ambulatory Delivery Device (CADD) systems, specifically CADD-Solis Ambulatory Infusion pumps, within communities across Nunavut. This program aims to enhance the homecare program for individuals with life-limiting illnesses. By facilitating adequate comfort measures (e.g., effective pain management), the goal is to provide comprehensive support and access to care, minimizing the need for long-term care respite beds and enabling individuals to receive the care they need in their home and community. 

By implementing the CADD-Solis Ambulatory Infusion pumps, the team aims to achieve several long-term outcomes. These include reducing the need for medical travel to access palliative services outside the community, decreasing the reliance on long-term care respite beds, and enhancing the capacity to repatriate individuals who have received palliative care outside the territory. 

Notable impact: Developed a comprehensive approach and pilot, including considerations and lessons learned for implementing this initiative in rural, remote and resource-constrained jurisdictions.

Learn more about the Department of Health, Government of Nunavut.

Algonquin Family Health Team in collaboration with NOSM University (Huntsville, Ontario)​​

​​Algonquin Family Health Team (AFHT) is a family health team that supports individuals living in Huntsville, Ontario and surrounding areas. One of their clinics, The Annex, provides primary care to individuals without a primary care provider and their Aging in Place program focuses specifically on supporting older adults who are unattached to primary care.

​Aging in Place at the Annex

​The program provides continuous, comprehensive care to unattached older adults, addressing the critical need for primary care among those who do not have access to primary care and rely on emergency departments to receive care.

​The program aims to reduce hospitalizations and emergency department visits while supporting older adults in managing chronic illnesses, navigating the healthcare system and aging at home.

​With a multidisciplinary team including physicians, a nurse practitioner, community paramedics, and mental health support, the Annex provides older adults access to primary care, ensuring comprehensive health management and reducing the need for, and demands on, acute services. 

​Notable impact: Reducing non-urgent emergency department visits by providing access to primary care for unattached older adults.

​Learn more about Aging in Place at the Annex in the promising practice. ​

Brightshores Health System (Grey County and Bruce County, Ontario)

The Grey-Bruce Ontario Health Team is leading this initiative in collaboration with Brightshores Health System, Bruce County Paramedic Services, and the Grey Bruce Design & Implementation Working Group. All four partner organizations serve Grey and Bruce counties in the South West Region of Ontario.

Aging Well in Grey Bruce Calendar: Health & Social Service Navigation for Older Adults

This program aims to address the challenges of health and social system navigation by empowering older adults living in the communities across Grey and Bruce counties to build knowledge and access information related to local health services, social and community support and personalized system navigation.

The team deepened connections with the older adult community using asset-based community development through community conversations, surveys for feedback, and engaging with groups facing participation barriers.

These connections allowed them to develop and distribute the Aging Well in Grey Bruce 16-month calendar, which was co-created with the voices and wisdom of local older adults and service providers.

The team will continue to focus on supporting older adults living in Grey Bruce to access health and social services that support them to age in place and ensure the system hears older adults to best prepare for and respond to needs.

Notable impact: Building a commitment for community led work to be embedded in the work of the healthcare system.

Learn more about Brightshores Health System.

County of Renfrew (Renfrew County, Ontario)

The Ottawa Valley Ontario Health Team is leading this initiative, in collaboration with Pembroke Regional Hospital, Renfrew County Community Paramedics, and Barry’s Bay and Area Home Support Services to support older adults in the Ottawa Valley region of Ontario.

Community Paramedics Post Fall Pathway: Community Intervention

Informed by partners and individuals with lived and living experience, the team developed and implemented a comprehensive falls pathway within community paramedicine.

The cross-sectoral collaborative pathway builds on existing resources and ensures equitable access to timely services and programs for older adults who have experienced a fall through a consistent and streamlined approach. The pathway consolidates existing services, promotes integration, and enhances coordination to optimize resource utilization and support older adults in accessing the most appropriate services when needed.

A web-based self-screening tool has also been implemented for older adults and care partners to complete. The tool supports them to self-identify their risk of a fall and receive direction to the most appropriate program in their local area, based on their screening results, raising awareness of the availability of local programs.  

Notable impact: Providing an accessible and equitable pathway for older adults and care partners to access preventive and post-fall supports.

Learn more about the County of Renfrew.

Dixon Hall (Toronto, Ontario)

Dixon Hall is a multi-service agency that offers a range of services including housing support, employment services, and programs for older adults and youth, addressing the diverse needs of the Downtown East Toronto, Ontario community. They are leading this initiative in collaboration with McMaster University.

HCP@Clinic

This program adapts the McMaster University CP@clinic program to serve older adults including immigrant older adults living in social/supportive housing or who are precariously housed in Downtown East Toronto. This adaptation, named Healthcare Provider at Clinic (HCP@clinic), will utilize other healthcare providers outside of community paramedicine and tailors the evidence-informed intervention to these different populations, promoting health and health equity.  

The program aims to improve access to primary healthcare, social and community resources, enhance health measures and quality of life, support participants to remain healthy at home longer, reduce transfers to long-term care and prevent progression to more intensive interventions.

Notable impact: Developed adapted model from CP@clinic, with other healthcare providers supporting this specific population instead of community paramedics.

Learn more about Dixon Hall.

Generations Toronto (Toronto, Ontario)

Generations Toronto is a faith-based community organization dedicated to providing awareness, education, services and support to Ismaili Muslims in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario.

Integrated Seniors Health and Wellness Program

The Integrated Seniors Health & Wellness Program targets homebound older adults with mild to moderate cognitive decline, aiming to reduce isolation and alleviate caregiver burnout.

Set within a culturally and linguistically appropriate faith-based framework, the day program fosters social connections and a sense of belonging for culturally diverse, isolated, frail, and vulnerable Ismaili Muslim seniors. It promotes physical wellness, cognitive stimulation, social engagement, and emotional well-being.

Additionally, the program provides information, education, navigational support, and respite care to caregivers, enhancing their capacity to offer quality care and delaying long-term care admission.

Notable impact: Supporting culturally and linguistically diverse older adults from the same faith background to improve social connections, cognitive function and mental health.

Learn more about Generations Toronto.

GTA Rehab Network (UHN) (Toronto, Ontario)

The initiative is a collaboration between the GTA Rehab Network, Toronto Paramedic Services (TPS) and the North Western Toronto Ontario Health Team (NWT OHT) in Toronto, Ontario.

Community Paramedic Post-Fall Rehab Care Pathway

The post-fall pathway, developed by the Rehabilitative Care Alliance, aims to reduce functional decline and prevent future falls for older adults who called 911 after falling, or reported a fall to paramedics, but were not transported to the hospital.

Falls are a leading cause of injury and related hospitalizations amongst individuals over 65 years of age. They often have serious impacts for older adults and can be a key reason why an individual is no longer able to age in place and must move into long-term care.

Given that paramedics frequently respond to falls, they are well positioned in the patient journey to evaluate risks and support individuals who may benefit from referrals to one of the three streams to prevent additional falls. The three streams include community-based intervention, outpatient community clinic/in-home care/specialized geriatric services and direct access to inpatient rehab care.

Notable impact: Older adults living in the community have improved access to rehabilitative care services to prevent and recover from falls, reducing avoidable emergency department visits.

Learn more about the Community Paramedic Post-Fall Rehab Care Pathway in the promising practice.

Home Hospice North Lanark (Lanark County, Ontario)

Home Hospice North Lanark (HHNL) provides supportive services to individuals who have been diagnosed with an advanced, progressive illness and their loved ones.

Day Hospice Program

The Day Hospice program provides early identification and support for palliative care individuals and their caregivers, mitigating risks of urgent emergency room visits and declines in condition through health and social service interventions.

This weekly program, held in a friendly, social setting outside the home, offers participants the opportunity to connect with others, access complimentary therapies, and engage in life-enriching activities. Caregivers also receive support and respite.

A registered nurse on site assists with system navigation, monitors client status, and ensures resource access to reduce acute care visits. The program fosters client independence, reduces social isolation, improves quality of life, ensures seamless transitions across palliative care services, and alleviates health system pressures by optimizing the use of healthcare resources. 

Notable impact: Supporting respite and access to services for individuals with a life-limiting illness.

Learn more about Home Hospice North Lanark.

Huron Shores Family Health Team (Algoma Region, Ontario)

Huron Shores Family Health Team supports residents of East Algoma, a rural area in Northeastern Ontario, with comprehensive community-centred primary care.

Healthy Aging Program

The Healthy Aging Program aims to improve the lives of older adults by promoting well-being and helping them stay independent and active in their community. The program focuses on preventing and managing age-related health challenges with individuals aged 65 and older including those without access to a primary care provider.  

HSFHT developed the Healthy Aging Program as an early frailty identification and management program. Individuals living with frailty are at higher risk of fall-related injuries, which can lead to increased emergency department visits, extended hospitalization and entry to long-term care. By identifying and supporting individuals living with frailty, HSFHT aims to reduce demand on the local healthcare system. Their multi-component approach supports HSFHT in identifying frailty earlier and providing community members with strategies to positively influence their well-being.

Notable impact: Supporting the identification of frailty earlier and providing all community members with strategies to positively influence their well-being as they age.

Learn more about the Healthy Aging Program in the promising practice.

KW4 Ontario Health Team, in collaboration with Lawson Research Institute (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario)

KW4 Ontario Health Team leads this initiative supporting the implementation of the Integrated Care Team for Older Adults in the Kitchener-Waterloo region in Ontario,

Integrated Care Team for Older Adults

The Integrated Care Team for Older Adults is a primary care-based support model that provides older adults with complex health conditions direct access to a specialized geriatric integrated care team embedded within a primary care setting. The program provides support by stabilizing at risk older adults, providing chronic disease/ geriatric symptom management and education, supporting system navigation and connecting patients/ caregivers to community resources and providing mental health support for at risk older adults.

The team also supports patients of primary care providers that do not have access to a multidisciplinary care team for older adults.

Notable impact: Supporting the needs of older adults with complex health challenges to avoid urgent specialist intervention, reducing emergency department visits and delaying entry to long-term care.

Learn more about the Integrated Care Team for Older Adults in the promising practice.

Play Forever (Toronto, Ontario)

Play Forever, as a community-based organization, started by providing structured and accessible recreation, education and mental health services to youth in the greater Toronto area. However, older adults in the community soon expressed interest in having similar opportunities. Play Forever took this in stride and now offers programming for older adults, while also providing intergenerational connection opportunities with youth, primarily through social housing communities.   

Play Forever

Play Forever supports older adults to remain connected to their community, enhancing social engagement and reducing loneliness. The organization works to create an inclusive space for diverse communities of older adults by incorporating culturally appropriate activities and offering activities in multiple languages when possible.    

The programs bring joy and connection to older adults and help build healthy and vibrant communities. 

By focusing on health promotion, social connection and technology skills, Play Forever supports older adults in maintaining independence and improving their quality of life as they age in place.  

Notable impact: Supporting older adults to remain connected to their community, enhancing social engagement and reducing loneliness.

Learn more about Play Forever in the promising practice.

Health PEI - Margaret Stewart Ellis Home (Prince County, Prince Edward Island)

Health PEI is leading this initiative at two of their long-term care homes, one in O’Leary, Prince Edward Island and the other in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.

Respite Enhancement Project

The program team identified that the Long-Term Care Home respite services were under-utilized due to a lack of awareness, misconceptions about the ability for institutional settings to provide person-centered care, and barriers faced through administrative processes.

As a result, the project focused on expanding and improving the existing respite care program to enable better utilization of the program and allow long-term care to be a key community support promoting aging in place. Areas of focus included increased program promotion, improved communication between homecare and long-term care, physical space improvements and changes to administrative processes.

These enhancements improve the respite care program’s ability to support older adults to continue to age in place by preventing caregiver burnout.

Notable impact: More older adults and care partners are accessing high quality, coordinated respite care services, supporting care partners to continue to care for their loved one at home.

Learn more about Margaret Stewart Ellis Home.

Université Laval (Québec, Québec)

This initiative is led by a research team at Université Laval, in collaboration with McMaster University, the VITAM research centre, the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale and Dessercom. The clinics are located in the regional county municipality of Portneuf, and in the Capitale-Nationale region of Québec.

CP@clinic

Originally developed by a team at McMaster University, the CP@clinic program in Quebec is coordinated by the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Acute Care (CESNA team) at Université Laval. The implementation was carried out in collaboration with the community paramedic team from Dessercom, as well as the management teams of the Office municipal d’habitation du Québec (OMHQ) and the Office municipal d’habitation du Grand Portneuf (OMHGP).

CP@clinic is an evidence-based initiative, focusing on chronic disease prevention, management and health promotion provided by community paramedics. This initiative is the first implementation of the CP@clinic model in Québec.

In the Capitale-Nationale region, four buildings managed by the municipal housing authorities (OMH) host the CP@Clinic community paramedic clinics, where community paramedics carry out a structured health assessment of residents who wish to participate.

The clinic aims to prevent and facilitate the management and monitoring of chronic conditions, as well as to promote health and quality of life for older adults. The program also aims to reduce social isolation, facilitate access to primary care and community resources, and reduce the economic burden of low-priority 911 calls made by older people.

Notable impact: Reducing the number of avoidable 911 calls by focusing on prevention and early intervention with older adults.

Learn more about CP@clinic in the promising practice.

Golden Health Care (Warman, Saskatchewan)

Golden Health Care (GHC) in collaboration with BetterLTC and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) are implementing this program at one of GHC’s long-term care homes, Diamond House, in Warman, Saskatchewan.

Short Term Enablement and Planning Suites (STEPS) for Abilitation

The STEPS program is supporting older adults who, while in acute care, have been designated with an alternate level of care status by providing a homelike environment as they prepare to transition back into the community or to a new destination. They are using additional capacity within Diamond House to support these individuals.

The STEPS program uses a relational approach to care and works with participants holistically through abilitation, which aims to improve the person’s experienced health state regardless of their condition. This is implemented in combination with the Friends volunteer program which provides accompaniment from a volunteer to participants and their care partners to support them in making informed decisions related to transitions and accessing supports.    

Notable impact: Supporting participants with abilitative care and connection to appropriate resources, to enable them to safely transition back to the community instead of to long-term care.

Learn more about STEPS for Abilitation in the promising practice.

SaskAbilities (Yorkton, Saskatchewan)

This initiative is led by SaskAbilities, a Saskatchewan based non-profit organization that supports people experiencing disability with programs and services to enhance their lives.

Dementia Friendly Life Enrichment Program (DFLEP)

SaskAbilities’ Dementia Friendly Life Enrichment Program (DFLEP) provides individual and group services to people living in the community with dementia and their care partners.

These individuals often feel isolated with their diagnosis, and this program aims to connect them with groups of peers and support services to build their sense of belonging and connection.

DFLEP provides critical support at all stages of dementia, not just the more advanced stages of the condition. This program enhances quality of life while also delaying entry to long-term care by reducing care partner burnout.

Notable impact: Enhancing the quality of life for individuals living with dementia while also delaying entry to long-term care by reducing care partner burnout.

Learn more about the Dementia Friendly Life Enrichment program in the promising practice.