Province Phasing Out Harbourside Adult Residential Facility in Yarmouth

Living in a community allows people to be part of a neighbourhood, to feel valued for their contributions and to have the ability to pursue the lives they choose.

As part of the commitment to discontinue the use of large institutional settings for Disability Support Program participants and to move people into a community, the Department of Community Services will support residents of Harbourside Lodge, an adult residential centre in Yarmouth, to move to more appropriate settings.

“This is an important step forward in our commitment to give people the opportunity to live more independently in a community,” said Kelly Regan, Minister of Community Services. “Community Services will work with each person, their family and service providers, to honour individual wishes, strengths, needs and capacities as they move to their new home.”

Moving the 27 residents into a community is expected to take about 12 to 18 months.

Safe and smooth transitions for residents are a top priority. Community Services will work directly with Harbourside Lodge to complete individualized planning for each person.

Quick Facts:

• government budgeted $7.4 million in 2020-21 to create 50 new community placements, with plans to expand over the next several years. Those currently on the waitlist will also be offered community placement options
• the Disability Support Program serves about 5,400 children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities, long-term mental illness and physical disabilities in a range of community-based, residential and vocational/day programs.
• the eight adult residential centres and regional rehabilitation centre programs in Nova Scotia support about 525 people
• the centres provide support to people who need 24/7 care

Additional Resources:

A Roadmap for Transforming the Nova Scotia Services to Persons with Disabilities Program: https://novascotia.ca/coms/transformation/docs/Choice_Equality_and_Good_Lives_in_Inclusive_Communities.pdf

Disability Support Program: https://novascotia.ca/coms/disabilities/index.html