Canadian Nurses Association applauds NDP pledge to fund improvements to seniors care

OTTAWA, Sept. 13, 2015 /CNW/ - The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) welcomes today's New Democratic Party pledge of $1.8 billion in new health-care funding. A portion of these funds will be used to create 5,000 new nursing home beds across the country to increase the options for seniors care and better support home care and long-term care. CNA is also pleased with the party's vow to work with its provincial/territorial government partners on improving and expanding health-care services outside of Canada's hospitals. Another key measure is the NDP pledge to provide $30 million in new funding to enhance end-of-life care and palliative care alternatives for Canadians.

Since CNA's Annual Hill Day in November 2014, staff and board members have met with parliamentarians to offer our recommendations on how the government could commit to better seniors care. Our recommendations include common standards for home care in Canada, which is currently a patchwork of public and private services among the provinces and territories. The result of this piecemeal approach is that access to health care at home has more to do with where Canadians live than what they need. By establishing common standards across Canada, our citizens will have equitable access to a certain level of care.

We look forward to posting the NDP's and other federal party responses to CNA's 2015 federal election questionnaire on our election website in the coming weeks.

On August 6, CNA launched its own federal election campaign call — Health Is Where the Home Is — to draw attention to the significant gaps in seniors home health care. In addition to common standards for home health care and improved health promotion, CNA is recommending more support for family caregivers. Canadians who provide care for aging family members are indispensable to the well-being of our seniors and to our overburdened health-care system. These caregivers' annual contributions in unpaid labour are estimated to be worth more than $5 billion. CNA is hopeful that this issue will be addressed during the upcoming Globe and Mail federal leaders' debate on the economy, which is scheduled to take place on September 17 in Calgary.

To learn more about CNA's election campaign call, including its contact the candidates and share your story features, visit cna-aiic.ca/election2015.

CNA is the national professional voice representing 135,000 registered nurses in Canada. CNA advances the practice and profession of nursing to improve health outcomes and strengthen Canada's publicly funded, not-for-profit health system.

SOURCE Canadian Nurses Association

For further information: Marc Bourgeois, Director, Public Affairs and Member Outreach, Canadian Nurses Association, Cell: 613-864-1371, E-mail: [e-mail]