A $20,000 age-friendly grant has been provided to the Village of Cache Creek to support the creation of an age-friendly action plan.

“As our province continues its growth into the future it faces new challenges that must be addressed,” said Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart. “Through the age friendly action plan, the Province is pleased to partner with local governments to assess services and supports for seniors in local communities.”

An age-friendly action plan will be developed to identify specific mental, physical and social barriers in the existing community infrastructure. It will focus on understanding how age-friendly Cache Creek is, as well as determining future plans to respond to an aging population.

“Our community is absolutely delighted to have received a grant that will allow us to engage with our seniors, in order to help Council prioritize its efforts in meeting the needs of our constituents,” said Cache Creek mayor John Ranta. “Many community members, we believe, wish to age-in-place and this grant will allow us to identify any challenges that seniors face, that, if left unaddressed would prevent them from staying in their own home or living longer in our community. We look forward to working with the Province to enable seniors to live as long as possible with pride and dignity, in their own community, with whatever supports they determine are necessary to facilitate their ongoing health and comfort.”

The age-friendly communities grant program is a partnership between the Province and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM). Local governments were invited to apply for grants up to $20,000. For the 2017 grants, communities were encouraged to consider projects that focus on accessibility, aging well, physical activity and non-medical home supports. Cache Creek is one of 18 municipalities to receive a 2017 age-friendly grant.

Applications were reviewed by a committee from UBCM and the Ministry of Health. Since 2007, age-friendly communities grants have funded 286 projects throughout British Columbia, totalling $3.75 million.

Learn More:

More information about Age-friendly BC can be found by visiting: www.gov.bc.ca/agefriendly