Canadian Nurses Association responds to Green Party of Canada election platform

OTTAWA, Sept. 10, 2015 /CNW/ - The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is encouraged to see seniors heath care featured prominently in the Green Party of Canada's 2015 federal election platform. In particular, CNA welcomes the party's proposal to implement a national seniors strategy.

"The Green Party of Canada's commitment to create a national seniors strategy, which would address predictable home care support, aligns with CNA's federal recommendations to improve seniors health care — especially the need to make it easier for seniors and aging baby boomers to age at home with access to health care," said CNA president Karima Velji. "We are also pleased to see that the party would address an important issue for First Nations communities: the need to improve rural health infrastructure. Their platform proposes to invest in telehealth, which would ensure that remote communities have access to a useful health-care resource. Among the other positive measures that we agree with are those that would reduce income and housing inequality and another that would cover dental costs for low-income Canadians under the age of 18."

Earlier this week, CNA received the Green Party's response to our election questionnaire (which was sent to all the major federal parties. The responses from all the parties will be posted on our election website, cna-aiic.ca/election2015). One of the key measures in the Green Party's response is the creation of a council of Canadian governments. The party said the council would be "well-equipped to set common standards to give all Canadians — particularly seniors — fair and equitable access to home health care. With a national conversation on a national seniors strategy and national home care plan, we will be able to provide seniors and their caregivers the support they need."

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: David Granovsky, Manager of Government Relations, Canadian Nurses Association, Telephone: [phone], ext. 525, Cell: 613-697-7497, E-mail: [e-mail]