Seniors

"Moore-Kilgannon said any new system needs to consider the role that prescription drugs plays in the overall health-care system 'and take a universal approach to it. We hope going forward on these upcoming changes, they have a real consultation that will involve looking at the pros and cons of what the changes will bring,' he said."

"The Redford government is proposing to offer public lands to private and non-profit companies to leverage more long-term-care facilities and affordable housing for seniors. Bill Moore-Kilgannon of Public Interest Alberta also had concerns about the concept. He noted the PC government hasn’t fulfilled its commitment to create 1,000 long-term-care beds."

EDMONTON—Public Interest Alberta is challenging the Redford Government to investigate and stop seniors care facilities and other health facilities that ban, or threaten to ban, people from seeing their loved ones without due process. 

Following our January 16th sit-in at Minister Horne’s constituency office, a meeting was arranged for February 13th. A group of 13 representatives of the Public Interest Alberta's Seniors Task Force reviewed our Pharmaceutical Position Paper, and proposed a universal pharmaceutical plan, fully integrated into our provincial health care system, as an alternative to the income-based plan proposed in the government’s last budget.

"'I felt completely disempowered, abused, and afraid to do anything because I was afraid that I would be banned for longer, and that’s what the security guard said. He said "If you don’t comply, you could be banned forever, and you’ll never see your husband again." Bill Moore-Kilgannon of Public Interest Alberta says the existing system is 'absolutely unacceptable.'"

"The group won a meeting with Health Minister Fred Horne after two dozen seniors staged a sit-in at his constituency office last month.

'They are clearly not going to move on instituting an income-based plan,' said Noel Sommerville, spokesman for Public Interest Alberta’s seniors task force. 'They are planning to do more consultation…(and) they do not intend to proceed with anything to do with this in the upcoming budget.'

EDMONTON—The member organizations of Public Interest Alberta’s seniors task force will be meeting with Health Minister Fred Horne on Thursday, February 13th from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM at Government House (12845 – 102 Avenue), and will be available for media interviews there at 3:30 PM.

Dear members and supporters of Public Interest Alberta's Seniors Task Force, we need your support to stop the Alberta government from eliminating the Alberta Senior’s Drug benefit. As you know, the Alberta government has announced they plan to cut $180 million by creating a means-tested drug plan that will place the biggest burden on those seniors who are the most frail or sick and require the most drugs. With your support, we can stop this.

"Recent inspections of one of Alberta’s largest nursing home providers found one-fifth of the private company’s facilities failed to follow rules aimed at preventing patient scaldings. While the province says a flurry of inspections at 15 centres operated by Revera Inc. found no systemic problems, senior advocacy groups and opposition politicians say they worry for the safety of residents at the three facilities where bathing and showering standards were violated. 'I think it’s shocking given the recent public and government attention to this problem,' said Bill Moore-Kilgannon, executive director of Public Interest Alberta."

"Angry seniors occupied Health Minister Fred Horne’s constituency office until midnight on January 18 to protest provincial plans to merge Alberta’s 18 subsidized drug plans into one. The groups 'felt it important that they meet with Alison Redford because she had solicited their support when she was running for leader of the PC party and had explicitly stated that she would not touch the seniors’ drug plans to many of those organizations,' explains Public Interest Alberta director Bill Moore-Kilgannon."