Most of us have used 411 at some point to find a person or a business. Nova Scotia has its own go-to information resource — 211 — when what you really need is thoughtful and caring help from any of the thousands of community-based programs across the province.
One simple call to 211 connects you to about 1,300 different organizations offering more than 5,000 helping programs at 2,900 locations across the province, says Mike Myette, executive director of the non-profit organization, 211 Nova Scotia. As compared to 411, Myette points out, “411 can really only help if you know something about whom or what you are trying to find, either a name or a location. With 211, you don’t need to know anything about the organization you’re looking for, you just tell the person who answers the phone what type of help you need.
“While the majority of the more than 5,000 programs that 211 has information on serve people at any age, more than 400 are directly aimed at assisting older adults to find exactly what they need to stay healthy, active and in their home communities,” he adds.
Improving access to services for older adults is especially important, Myette says, since Nova Scotia has the fastest growing population in the country of people aged 55 and older. While 211 has been available since 2013, not everyone is aware of this incredible free, province-wide information service, which is why, in early 2018, the Province’s Department of Seniors collaborated with 211 Nova Scotia to launch a major 211 awareness campaign directed at rural Nova Scotia’s “55-plus” community.
Myette says, “Currently, about half of the 40,000 calls we take each year are related to services and programs supporting some aspect of the later years of adulthood and we’ve seen about a 10 per cent increase from the same time a year ago, so we feel the campaign has been very successful.”
Despite the success of the most recent campaign in other areas of rural Nova Scotia, the team at 211 noticed that the response from people in Shelburne and Guysborough counties was not as high as it was in other areas.
“211 is your direct connection to programs and services offered by local community groups, non-profits and government departments, programs that allow you to participate in your community, to be involved and meet other people,” he says.
Older adults, especially, can feel isolated and 211 can help them or their caregivers find information about the many programs and services available in their own community, including recreation, social and education programs, senior safety programs, services for persons with disabilities, food banks and prepared meals, adult day programs, long-term care and housing, homecare, mental health support and senior navigation services.
Besides helping people who need to find programs and services for themselves, 211 is an important resource for those who find themselves in the role of providing care to others. “In 2017, we connected more than 600 caregivers to resources and groups that are available to support them— because caregivers frequently need help, too,” says Myette.
“Our team has helped people find everything from affordable hearing aids and other medical devices to emergency housing and support, to children’s literacy programs and organizations that offer refurbished computers to people who can’t afford them,” Myette explains.
“We simply want to ensure that people in every community know that help is only one phone call away.” According to 211 Nova Scotia’s 2017 annual report, the non-profit reported a 96 per cent success rate in connecting people with a program or a service that could meet their need.
211 Nova Scotia is accessible 24/7 by dialing 211, texting 21167 or visiting ns.211.ca. Over the phone interpretation services are also available in more than 100 languages.
