Call for a National Seniors Strategy – 2016

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that BPW Canada urges the Government of Canada to undertake a multi-pronged approach to the development and implementation of a National Seniors Strategy with the Minister of Health, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, and Minister of Status of Women. FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that BPW Canada urges the Government of Canada and specifically the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities and Minister of Status of Women to create a comprehensive National Seniors Strategy that ensures older Canadians have access to the care they need in a culturally sensitive manner and environment within which they can thrive. The strategy needs to have two interdependent foci: development of communities that value the elderly and the development of appropriate care and supports for older Canadians living in our communities. Specifically:  Healthy aging: focus on social determinants of health such as adequate income, housing and food security, and opportunity for social connections,  Care: access to appropriate primary, acute and specialized geriatric care, high quality home and community care, long term care, and palliative and end-of-life services;  Care giver supports: recognition and support for informal care givers, and  National standards and leadership: Share and mandate evidence-informed strategies and support the establishment of common standards and benchmarks with targets, measures, and national reporting; AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that BPW Canada urges the Government of Canada and specifically the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, Minister of Health, and Colleges and Institutes Canada to develop training and knowledge adoption strategies around the care of the elderly to ensure that older Canadians have access to the right care, provided by properly trained care providers with a minimal wait time.