Health Services Committee Meeting Summary – Nov 3/23

Review of committee mandate –  Articles received from the Canadian Health Coalition and the Canadian Labour Congress, that directly relate to the work of the Health Services Committee, would be forwarded for inclusion on the website.

Aging in Place must become a reality, but it comes with considerable associated costs. Nova Scotia offers a Seniors Care Grant to enable elders to remain in their homes, but the grant is limited.

Pharmacare – Support must continue for Universal Pharmacare. A letter will be composed to be distributed via New Mode to our membership.  This letter will emphasize a universal, comprehensive, and single payer system.

Seniors Dental Care plan – The committee will investigate the status of such a plan from information on the CRA website.

Privatization – Instances of “creeping privatization” from several provinces were shared.  The ACER-CART president has written the Canadian Medical Association expressing our dismay that they have not spoken out against this evolving trend. This issue will be forwarded to the PAC to discuss how we might follow up with the Canadian Medical Association.

Long-term care standards – There is a concern in Alberta that LTC Homes know in advance of compliance visits, which negates their role. The Seniors’ Advocate has become basically nonexistent in Alberta and is under review in Newfoundland and Labrador. There appears to be a game of back-and-forth going on with the National LTC standards. The federal government claims it is of a provincial jurisdiction, yet the provinces seem hesitant to enforce it. This is likely most effective if emphasized at the provincial level and through provincial channels. Nova Scotia has mandated a minimum of 4.1 hours per day of patient contact, they have increased pay to LPN’s by 25%, have offered nurses $5000 in bonuses to practice in long-term care, and they have offered LPN’s free tuition at the local colleges and hired foreign workers.

McMaster University study – It will be ascertained what our participation in the McMaster University study has been to date and to see how we can enhance our participation. We remain committed to our participation in programs that promote seniors’ health.