A 300,000-members strong seniors advocacy group this week issued a clarion call to Canada’s political parties to get moving on the country’s first national seniors strategy.
Armed with the experiences of its members, some of whom have been hit hard by wait lists for hip replacements and a lack of affordable long-term care, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, better known as CARP, on Tuesday released a 24-page policy platform entitled The Faces of Canada’s Seniors: Making Canada the Best Place to Age.
The report identifies five key areas as critical and in need of government leadership, including financial security, abuse prevention, caregiving and housing supports, exceptional health care, and social inclusion.
"In anticipation of the next federal election, we'll be pushing the government and all parties to commit to specific, measurable improvements in (these) five key areas that matter most to our members,” CARP chief advocacy and engagement officer Wanda Morris said.
The advocacy group also identified 19 “action areas” for federal lawmakers to consider, including everything from tax and pension reforms and elder abuse prevention to a national pharmacare program and dementia strategy.
Like the trend seen throughout the rest of Canada, York Region’s senior population aged 65 and over is the fastest growing cohort, expected to outnumber children within a decade.
CARP’s Faces report offers “comprehensive recommendations that touch on all the necessities older adults are concerned about through the aging process”, said Christina Bisanz, CEO of CHATS, an organization that helps seniors live independently in their own homes by providing community supports and services.
Bisanz said the national group’s plan puts the issues into perspective and paves a path forward.
“York Region is experiencing significant growth in its seniors population. We need a coordinated approach that involves all levels of government working along with organizations such as CHATS, to plan for and use our resources effectively and equitably,” she said.
The most recent Census data showed 161,925 seniors aged 65 and over living in York Region, an increase of about 41,000, or 33.9 per cent, between 2011 and 2016. The region’s share of the senior population also accounted for a record-high 14.7 per cent of the total population in 2016, up from 11.7 per cent in 2011.
Meanwhile, the re-establishment in August of a federal seniors ministry after a three-year lapse is a “positive step”, CARP’s chief public policy officer Laura Tamblyn Watts said.
At that time, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed rookie MP Filomena Tassi as Canada’s new minister of seniors.
“Our government knows that our seniors have contributed immensely to our communities, our workplaces and our families. We want them to feel safe and secure as they age,” Minister Tassi’s press secretary, Annabelle Archambault, said. “Many organizations and individuals have suggested that we develop a national seniors strategy.”
The most recent political push for the creation of a national seniors strategy came in the form of a private members’ bill, known as M-106, put forward by MP Marc Serre, which passed in the House of Commons June 6, 2017.
That paved the way for a 10-meeting study between the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, known as HUMA, which wrapped up earlier this year with the submission of its report, Advancing Inclusion and Quality of Life for Seniors.
It will serve as the road map to develop and implement a pan-Canadian national seniors strategy in partnership with several key federal departments, including health.
“Minister Tassi is proud that our government supported Marc Serre's motion M-106,” Archambault said. “The National Seniors Council is now consulting with stakeholders and seniors and the minister looks forward to their input and recommendations on this matter.”
Highlights of Faces of Canada’s Seniors by-the-numbers:
- 64%: concerned about having enough money to last through retirement
- 64%: worry about having their pensions reduced
- 95%: support super-priority for pensioners under bankruptcy legislation
- 12.5%: Canadian seniors who now live in poverty and; between 2014 and 2015, 75,000 more seniors became low income, according to Statistics Canada
- 1 in 3: CARP members who know an older Canadian who has been abused
- 85%: concerned about supports for older adults experiencing abuse
- 88%: believe government should invest in elder abuse prevention and response
- 41%: CARP members who are caregivers
- 48%: seniors without private prescription drug coverage
- 76%: seniors who lost or had a reduction in their prescription drug benefits
- 88%: believe governments should increase the number of long-term care beds
- 82%: believe palliative care should be a right for all Canadians.
