Santé EntourÂGE / Health Entourage: A unique and innovative program at the heart of seniors’ lives.
In 2016 the Public Health Department of the Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) for Laval launched the Entourage Wellness program to provide seniors housing managers support to create a living environment conducive to maintaining the health and independence of their clientele, assisting residents towards enjoying a better quality of life.
In Laval, there are more than 50 seniors’ residences with more than 10,000 clientele. The Entourage Health Program aims to improve and maintain the health and independence of seniors by proposing lifestyle interventions including nutrition, physical activity, falls prevention, social support, medication and smoking cessation where they live.
The program consists of the following elements:
- Conferences, courses and health workshops on a variety of important issues affecting seniors, including nutrition, physical activity, falls prevention, medication, social support, etc.
- Information resources on the health and well-being of seniors (eg. the importance of eating three meals a day, the benefits of moving and staying active, importance of socializing regularly).
- More accessible health choices and safer common spaces.
This program started with three residences; L’Oasis de Laval, Manoir St-Martin and Manor of the Thousand Islands. Approaches to other retirement homes are under way to offer this program to the greatest number of seniors. In addition, an adapted version of the program Health Entourage will eventually be offered in community organizations in the region.