Originally published at CALTC.ca
Ottawa, July 18, 2018– “The appointment of Filomena Tassi as Minister of Seniors is excellent news for seniors and their care providers. On behalf of the Canadian Association for Long Term Care (CALTC), I applaud the Trudeau government for recognizing the need to create an independent portfolio dedicated to ensuring appropriate programs and services are created and available for our aging population.
We look forward to the Prime Minister publicly releasing the new minister’s mandate letter, so we can have a better understanding of the priorities and scope of this new department. Specifically, we believe there is a need for this ministry not be limited in its scope and includes improving the health and well-being of seniors, wherever they may live in Canada.
Canada is currently undergoing a significant demographic shift. Canadians age 65 and over represent 17% of the country’s population and is expected to increase by approximately 25% by 2036. The pressures caused by a growing seniors’ population is compounded by the fact that Canada’s seniors are living longer, with multiple chronic conditions that require complex care.
CALTC has identified three key priorities that the federal government must focus on to better care for Canada’s aging population:
- Allowing seniors housing, where care is provided, access to federal infrastructure funding in order to build new and modernize old care homes across Canada;
- Investing in a new standardized digital data collection system which would allow the federal government to better compare province by province outcomes and quality of care;
- In partnership with the sector, developing a new pan-Canadian health human resources strategy to meet the critical shortage of front-line care providers.
We congratulate Ms. Tassi on this new appointment and look forward to working with the government to ensure the provinces and front-line care providers can provide the best possible care to our seniors and vulnerable populations.”
Daniel Fontaine
Chair
Canadian Association for Long Term Care
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About the Canadian Association for Long Term Care (CALTC)
The Canadian Association for Long Term Care (CALTC) is a national organization comprised of provincial associations and long-term care providers that deliver publicly-funded health care services for seniors across Canada.
CALTC members represent care providers responsible for the employment of Canadians and delivering quality care to Canada’s most vulnerable residents each day. For more information: www.caltc.ca
For further information:
contact@caltc.ca
Photo courtesy of Filomena Tassi’s website.
