Seven communities in the Columbia Valley area have joined the Better at Home program thanks to $60,000 in funding from the B.C. government.

The Columbia Valley is one of six new rural and remote areas receiving funding. The Better at Home program aims to be ready to assist clients this summer in Invermere, Windermere, Spillimacheen, Edgewater, Radium Hot Springs, Panorama and Canal Flats.

This funding is part of a $4-million contribution from the B.C. government and is distributed through United Way of the Lower Mainland. The funding will help provide non-medical support to help seniors remain independent in their homes for as long as possible. Program services can vary between communities, but include friendly visiting, light yard work, minor home repairs, grocery shopping, light housekeeping and transportation to appointments.

“Life is better in the comfort of your own home,” Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett said. “By providing simple, non-medical support services such as transportation to appointments and friendly visits, the Better at Home program will help seniors in our communities continue to live independently.”

This Better at Home pilot project recognizes that seniors’ independence in rural and remote communities can be affected by factors such as geographic isolation, smaller population density and less infrastructure development.

All seniors living in a Better at Home community can apply for services. The Better at Home service provider will assist the applicant in deciding which services are right for their circumstances.

To date, the B.C. government has provided $26 million in funding to enhance and support the operations of the Better at Home program.

For more information about the Better at Home program, go to: betterathome.ca

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