Nova Scotia announces grant up to $500 for low-income seniors

Nova Scotia has opened grantapplications forlow-income seniors aimed at helping them stay in their own homes longer in the face of lengthywaits to get into nursing homes.

The grant provides up to $500 annually to help with things likesnow removal, small household repairs, lawn care and grocery delivery for peopleaged 65 and older.

"This investment will make it easier for Nova Scotians to maintain and afford their homes with the dignity they deserve," Barbara Adams, Nova Scotia's minister of seniors and long-term care, said at the grant announcementWednesday.

Adams said theprovince willcommitup to $32 million a year toward the grant.

Richard Wenaus, a volunteer at theDartmouth Seniors Service Centre, said $500 could go a long way for a lot of seniors.

"Seniors are practised in controlling their money. They look after it very, very carefullyand in a matter of spending the money on things that they really need and not frivolously," Wenaus said.

"I think they're happy about that because they know they're going to get a lot of mileage out of $500."

Qualifying seniorsmust live independently in a home they own or rent and have an annual household income of $37,500 or less.

Applications can be submitted online, by mail or by fax. The deadline for applications is May 31, 2022, and funds can be used through Nov.30, 2022.