2022-14 A NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR SENIOR CARE IN CANADA
Whereas #1 Statistics Canada has identified that Canada has reached the stage where the country is called aged with four out of ten Canadians now classified as old or getting old – 19% 65 or older and 22% between the ages of 55 and 64; and
Whereas #2 a report commissioned by the Alzheimer Society of Canada estimated that one million Canadians will have dementia by 2030; and
Whereas #4 many countries in the developed world, such as Denmark and the UK, have introduced advanced services to ensure that seniors receive the care and services they need as they age, to be able to live as independently as possible; and
Whereas #5 provincial and territorial legislation on senior care is either spotty across the country or negatively impacts the lives of seniors, such as services not being adequately overseen or funded, negatively impacting care for the elderly; therefore be it
Resolved #1 that the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) adopt as policy the development and establishment of a National Strategy to address senior care to meet the needs of seniors in Canada at all levels of care; and be it further
Resolved #2 that the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) urge the Government of Canada to develop and establish a National Strategy to address senior care to meet the needs of seniors at all levels of care including:
a) Home care and health
b) Respite care for caregivers
c) Inter-generational interaction
d) Activities/programs that mitigate the on-set or impact of dementia
e) Institutional aspects of care homes
f) Addressing modifiable risk factors that improve brain health
g) National standards
h) Public accountability; and be it further
Resolved #3 that the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) encourage Provincial Councils to support established National Strategies/policies on senior care to ensure that the needs of seniors are met at all levels of care.