Seniors

"The number of long-term care beds has actually declined in favour of Assisted Living and details of a new drug plan that was to kick in Jan. 1, 2014 are non-existent, panelists told an audience on Tuesday night. 'Premier Alison Redford promised an increase of 1,000 spaces each year for long-term care and that promise has not been kept,” said Noel Somerville, chair of the seniors task force for Public Interest Alberta. “The focus has been finding the cheapest way to care for seniors.'"

"Bill Moore-Kilgannon, executive director of Public Interest Alberta, said the $180-million cutback was announced by the Conservative government last spring. It was to take effect on Jan. 1, when Alberta seniors’ pharmacy plan would be abolished. But Albertans haven’t been given full details of the clawback, and now he says the insurance industry – after seeing those details – has told the government it can’t implement extensive changes that quickly."

"Public Interest Alberta’s Seniors Task Force is urging the government to reconsider the changes to the seniors drug plan and they are holding forums for the public to attend, including one at Medicine Hat Library on Tuesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.Public Interest Alberta would like the Minister of Health to adopt a public universal pharmacare plan and to host public consultations on it."

"Anyone with concerns about seniors care in Alberta can air them Monday evening at a special session called Senior's Care, Who Cares? The session is part of an 11-city speaking tour by Public Interest Alberta, Friends of Medicare and Parkland Institute to raise awareness about issues in seniors care.The top three topics are Alberta’s continuing care and long-term care systems, changes to home care and the seniors drug plan being proposed by the government, said Bill Moore-Kilgannon, executive director of Public Interest Alberta."

"While federal Conservatives hammer out new ideas in Calgary’s BMO Centre, their opponents are holding a series of protests and counter summits this week. Things kick off October 31, with Wake Up Canada—The Canada We Want summit at The Area in Inglewood. Wake Up Canada is offering workshops on labour, environmental, human rights and aboriginal issues at The Area and Central Library until November 2, as well as two protest rallies outside the BMO Centre where the Conservative Convention is taking place. The non-profit social advocacy group Public Interest Alberta is holding its own counter-summit on November 1 at the Central Library."

EDMONTON—Member organizations of Public Interest Alberta’s Seniors Task Force released a new position paper that challenges the Alberta government to rethink its proposed seniors’ drug plan strategy. Public Interest Alberta, Friends of Medicare and Parkland Institute will be hosting eleven public forums around Alberta on seniors care issues starting next week in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Calgary, Sundry and Red Deer. Sixteen different seniors’ organizations, health professional unions and Friends of Medicare have written to Health Minster Fred Horne urging him to adopt a public universal pharmacare plan and to host public consultations.

"Competitive free markets have provided a huge range of consumer goods through sophisticated production and assembly techniques. Unfortunately, no sophisticated techniques can be applied to looking after cognitively impaired, severely injured or profoundly frail people. It requires skill, care and compassion."

"The facilities for the care of our seniors are clearly inadequate despite the crisis warning going back 10-plus years. Ten years ago good studies indicated that the Central Zone would need at least 300 new continuing care/long-term care beds by now. Where are they?"

[

On October 1st, the provincial government announced a public consultation on the Budget 2014 with open house sessions

"The province-wide speaking tour is starting off in Hinton in an era of provincial budget cuts to care services in what the Seniors Task Force section of Public Interest Alberta (PIA), a province-wide advocacy group organizing the forums, says are broken promises made by the government to seniors.'We want to provide information of what we’re hearing across the province, educate people about changes in home care, long-term care, and the new seniors’ drug plan taking place on Jan. 1, 2014,' said Bill Moore- Kilgannon, executive director of PIA."