What is a Nursing Home Without Walls?
Nursing Home Without Walls (NHWW) helps nursing and long-term care (LTC) homes support older adults to age where they call home with access to essential services and support. By helping older adults stay in their homes longer, NHWW supports their independence and reduces the need for early moves to long-term care. It also helps to ease pressure on emergency departments.
89% of older adults surveyed feel Nursing Home Without Walls helps them stay at home, fostering stronger community connections
Originating in New Brunswick, Nursing Home Without Walls has spread to close to 30 nursing homes across the province, supported by HEC, Université de Moncton and the Government of New Brunswick.
“Nothing is as rewarding as hearing our participants tell us how much our services have improved their quality of life and kept them at home longer. It reminds us of what a difference we’re making in their lives.”
-Inkerman and Paquetville NHWW team
“Nothing is as rewarding as hearing our participants tell us how much our services have improved their quality of life and kept them at home longer. It reminds us of what a difference we’re making in their lives.”
-Inkerman and Paquetville NHWW team
How Nursing Home Without Walls works
Nursing and LTC homes implement NHWW programs. They provide space, staff support, and valuable knowledge about the local community, available services, and aging-related needs. In some cases, they also provide direct supports to older adults living at home.
Each NHWW program is shaped by the needs of its community. Nursing homes adjust the program to fit their local context, using their unique strengths. Every program is defined by three key elements:
- Support for older adults in the community: Services are designed to help people stay safe, healthy, and connected while living at home.
- Using what’s already in place: NHWW uses the space, staff, and other resources already available in nursing homes.
- Focusing on aging challenges: Programs address common issues like loneliness and access to services, supporting people age in place more comfortably.
Pan-Canadian spread
Building on the remarkable success of the NHWW program in New Brunswick, and with support from the Waltons Trust, Healthcare Excellence Canada is partnering with Université de Moncton to spread and scale the NHWW model across additional provinces and territories.
HEC is taking a jurisdictional approach, with a lead organization in each province or territory serving as HEC’s primary partner to support implementation of the NHWW model across selected nursing and long-term care homes.
Through this pan-Canadian program, jurisdictions across the country will be supported to adopt and spread the NHWW model in partnership with nursing and long-term care homes, enabling older adults to age in place with access to the services and supports they need.
The pan-Canadian NHWW program will be delivered over a three-year period, with formal implementation support running from January 2026 to March 2028.
Details about participating jurisdictions will be shared as recruitment continues.
Get involved with Nursing Home Without Walls
There are opportunities for jurisdictions, nursing homes and LTC homes to get involved with NHWW. To learn more about the NHWW model, we invite you to explore our implementation guides.
The Implementation Guide for LTC Homes (PDF) provides a step-by-step roadmap for implementing the model in nursing and long-term care settings, drawing on proven strategies, insights and best practices.
The Implementation Guide for Jurisdictions is a practical resource and a decision-making framework designed to help assess whether NHWW is the right fit for your region.
For more information, email nhww-fssm@hec-esc.ca
Related resources
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