Seniors Care in Crisis: Alberta's Seniors Deserve Better
Five Steps to Address the Crisis :: Take Action :: More Info :: Keep Informed
Demographics and Seniors Care: Statistics by Health Region
Since the mid-1990s, seniors' care in Alberta has been on a downward spiral. The report of the Auditor General in 2005 highlighted some of the problems in continuing care facilities and concluded that in some facilities, even the outdated standards were not being enforced. The crisis was further outlined in the follow-up report of the LA Task Force, which pointed out numerous inadequacies in the seniors' care system.
In late 2005, Public Interest Alberta formed its Seniors Task Force, made up of representatives from many key seniors organizations and health care professionals working with seniors. In May 2006, PIA launched the Alberta Seniors Deserve Better campaign. It proposed five specific steps to address the crisis.
When the Stelmach government took office, PIA's program, along with thousands of postcards from concerned Albertans, was presented to the new Ministers of Health and Seniors. Subsequent presentations were made to the government's Seniors' Advisory Committee.
To date, we have seen no government action to meaningfully address these five problem areas. The government's new Health Service Standards and Accommodation Standards do nothing to address these issues, and are simply an inadequate response to the crisis. Conditions in Alberta's long-term care facilities have only gotten worse.
PIA's Five Steps to Address the Crisis:
- Provide Quality Public Homecare
- Ensure Quality, Affordable and Accessible Public Seniors Care Facilities
- Stop Turning Long-Term Care Facilities into Assisted Living Facilities
- Create Advisory Councils in All Seniors Care Facilities
- Establish an Independent Seniors Advocate
