Raising our Voice on National Seniors Day

MISSISAUGA, ON, Oct. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - The 1^st of October - National Seniors Day – is a time to honour and recognize our grandparents, parents, friends, neighbours, colleagues, mentors, leaders and caregivers.  They are the seniors who have forged our great nation and enriched our lives.  Today, on National Seniors Day, the Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA) is proud to raise our collective voice and engage stakeholders across the country to bring awareness of the social, health and economic issues that senior citizens are faces with.

Seniors want to remain in their own homes as they age.  Home care plays a vital role in making this happen. In fact, four in five Canadians said that providing quality home care is an expression of Canadian health care values. Today, across Canada, one in every six seniors is receiving publicly funded home care services, and with our aging population, the demand for home care will surely escalate.

The need for home care services is outpacing public funding, as only 5 percent of the public health care dollars are spent on home care. "Given the limited budgets and resources, the only way provinces can meet the growing demand for home care is to restrict services and rely upon family and friends to fill the gaps," said Nadine Henningsen, Executive Director, CHCA.  "This situation has long term consequences for seniors that include unnecessary and costly trips to the emergency room, increased hospital admissions and length of stay, premature placement in long-term care facilities and caregiver burn-out." 

On National Seniors Day, the CHCA is calling on our membership and all Canadians to challenge the federal political parties to clearly articulate how they will support home care and enable seniors to safety live in their own homes with dignity and independence.  To this end, the CHCA is recommending the federal government take a leadership role and work with provinces to:

1. Develop a national strategy on senior care that includes resources and funding for expanded home care services.  
2. Remove the goods and service tax on all privately purchased home care services to alleviate the undue financial burden placed on seniors.
3. Advance the adoption of a Canadian Caregiver Strategy that addresses the health and financial needs for family caregivers.

The time has come for definitive action to address the growing needs of our aging society.  On October 1 – National Seniors Day – let's raise our voices and make this an election priority.

Learn more about the CHCA key messages and election tool kit at www.cdnhomecare.ca.

About the Canadian Home Care Association
The Canadian Home Care Association (CHCA), incorporated in 1990, is a national not-for-profit membership association representing home care stakeholders from governments (federal, provincial and territorial), health authorities, publicly funded home care programs, service providers, medical and technology companies, researchers and others with an interest in home care.  The CHCA advances excellence in home care and continuing care through leadership, awareness, advocacy and knowledge.

SOURCE Canadian Home Care Association

Catherine Suridjan, MSW, RSW, Policy Analyst, Canadian Home Care Association, Tel: [phone], E-mail: [email protected], @CdnHomeCare