![]() In its vision for a national seniors strategy, Federal Retirees advocates for quality and equitable health-care services for all older Canadians, and for policy, programs and services that allow older adults to age with dignity, in the place of their choosing.Īchieving this vision requires a national pivot from delivering care in institutional settings, like hospitals and long-term care, to providing these services in homes and communities. One of Federal Retirees’ key advocacy priorities is the implementation of a national seniors strategy. Canada’s aging population means the needs of Canadians have changed, and our health-care framework must keep pace.įederal Retirees’ vision for older adult care ![]() However, it focuses on hospitals and physicians, the services most Canadians needed when the legislation was drafted. The Canada Health Act, which outlines Canada’s health-care framework, establishes criteria, conditions and funding related to insured health services. Governments – and likely the federal government – will need to enact laws that support this new direction. It also involves implementing national standards for long-term care, home care and other older adult care, to ensure a baseline level of quality care for older Canadians, regardless of where they live. Transforming older adult care requires a different approach, with an emphasis on providing care at home and in the community so that Canadians can age in place. It is crucial that we use this opportunity to rethink older adult care in Canada and make changes that will lead to a system that is more person-centered and incorporates best practices from around the world. Never has older adult care been such a priority for governments. Never has the public outcry for the terrible state of older adult care been so strong. In doing so, it has provided us with a valuable opportunity. They are dealing with increased stress and additional duties all while respite care and other services they rely on are being cut back and governments are offering them virtually no support, financial or otherwise.ĬOVID-19 has drawn attention to the long-standing gaps in Canada’s older adult care. Informal caregivers, who provide an estimated 80 per cent of community care and 30 per cent of care in institutions, have also taken on more during the pandemic. Clients are experiencing reduced access to some services, like bathing and cleaning, which were – unbelievably – deemed non-essential. Just as it exposed and aggravated problems within the long-term care system, the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected home and community care. It is essential that we examine the things that went right, as well as what went wrong, and leverage these learnings to protect residents of these facilities in the future. Importantly, several governments and long-term care providers managed to curb the impact of the virus and remain relatively unaffected by rolling out new policies to reduce the spread of the virus, such as limiting visitors and requiring staff to work in only one facility. We also learned the shocking truth that more than 80 per cent of Canada’s total COVID-19 deaths have occurred in long-term care. The military was even called in to provide support to the hardest-hit facilities and shocking military reports revealed deplorable conditions in some of these facilities. ![]() Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen outbreaks of the virus and deaths in many long-term care homes across the country as well as struggles to source personal protective equipment, implement safety protocols and maintain staffing levels in long-term care facilities.
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