Seniors denied 5-day programme despite budget allocation

Plans to expand the East End/Long Look Community Senior Programme to five days a week have hit a roadblock despite funds being allocated in the 2025 budget.

This is according to a recent exchange in the House of Assembly between Health Minister Vincent Wheatley and Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn.

During the sitting, Penn questioned why the programme had not yet been expanded as promised. “Funds were allocated and budgeted in the 2025 budget to make this a reality,” Penn stated.

However, Wheatley explained that while money had been set aside for staffing, it was insufficient to fully implement the five-day schedule.

“The funds allocated to the social development programme were for staffing and have therefore been utilised to procure a cook and a cleaner to assign to the East End/Long Look Community Senior Programme,” Wheatley said. He added that the government plans to increase the programme’s operation incrementally, with the first phase set to start in September 2025, expanding from two to three days a week.