Representatives from four political parties came together on April 23 in a first-ever multi-stakeholder forum to propose their solutions to improving care and services for seniors, a key election issue. Liberal MPP Dipika Damerla, PC MPP Bill Walker, NDP MPP Teresa Armstrong, and Green Party representative Valerie Powell shared their thoughts on how each will address the growing and complex needs of Ontario’ seniors. André Picard, Globe and Mail health reporter, facilitated the discussion and posed some tough questions to the group.
The forum, titled Advancing Senior Care in Ontario, was co-hosted by eight organizations that represent seniors’ care and services: AdvantAge Ontario, Family Councils Ontario, Home Care Ontario, Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils, Ontario Caregiver Coalition, Ontario Community Support Association, Ontario Long-Term Care Association, and Ontario Retirement Communities Association. In the audience were concerned seniors, caregivers, family members, residents, and representatives from home, community, retirement, and long-term care.
Seniors’ care and services is a critical issue for many Ontarians in the lead up to the June 7 provincial election. While each party proposed a wide range of solutions at the forum, all four agreed that seniors’ growing needs must continue to be actively addressed and that it’s important for everyone to work together to improve the current system.
L to R:
The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Federal Minister of Health; Dr. Frances-Morton Chang; Dan Buchanan, Director of Financial Policy, AdvantAge Ontario