The Vitalité Health Network has launched its first Healthy Aging Clinic in Dieppe.

This will be a facility designed to improve seniors’ health and independence while easing the strain on hospital resources, according to Vitalité health.

Located at 665 Champlain Street, the clinic spans over 8,000 square feet and offers services such as assessments, rehabilitation, and group activities.

Its interdisciplinary team, including doctors, therapists, nurses, and social workers, ensures seniors have access to comprehensive care in one location.

Dr. Raphaëlle Thériault, from the geriatric team at the Georges-L.-Dumont Hospital, emphasized that the clinic builds on proven approaches from across Canada but goes further by focusing on prevention.

“We help patients before major health issues occur, like falls or hospitalizations, giving them the tools to stay healthy and independent,” she said.

Thériault also highlights the clinic’s success in its intensive post-stroke therapy, allowing many patients to leave the hospital earlier.

“This is a middle ground where we can keep doing intensive therapy without needing a hospital bed because hospital beds cost so much money,” she said.

The clinic also addresses challenges such as transportation for rural seniors, with plans to create clinics across the province.

Vitalité Health explained New Brunswick’s senior population is steadily growing, with projections of over 200,000 people aged 65 and older in the near future.