The Canadian Association for Long-Term Care (CALTC), as part of its recently launched #BECAUSEYOUCARE campaign, is calling upon Members of Parliament across the county to visit a long-term care home in their riding during the week of February 10 to 16, 2019.
The first-of-its-kind national initiative aims to raise awareness about the work that is being done to meet the needs of Canadian seniors, and the challenges facing the long-term care sector.
Ken Hardie, MP for Fleetwood—Port Kells, was the first to pledge his support for the initiative by scheduling a visit to a care home where he can interact directly with staff and seniors, and gain more insight into the day-to-day challenges they face.
“Isolation, loneliness and boredom are real concerns for those in long-term care, where their quality of life is already challenged by infirmity. Staff in these facilities do a wonderful job to keep people active and engaged, but it’s that extra care and attention from the community that can often make such a big difference,” Hardie says.
“While I try to drop in to our residences over Christmas, I plan to visit a bit more often and work with staff and management to see if there is more we can do together to give everyone a boost,” he adds. “Years ago, I used to take my very friendly but gentle dog into visit, and that was always a highlight. But there are many other ways we could brighten many lives, and I invite our community to help make this happen!”
Check CALTC’s listing to see which MPs have confirmed their visit to long-term care home during 2019.
Join us on social media using #BECAUSEYOUCARE to raise awareness in the community and encourage other MPs to participate in this important initiative.
