Seniors advocates call on government to fix long-term care crisis

Public Interest Alberta’s Seniors Task Force released a position paper on Long-Term Care calling on the Alberta government to fix the growing crisis in seniors care.

Sixteen organizations represented on the task force are deeply concerned that the Alberta government will not change a policy that caps the number of long-term care beds and continues to fund seniors care 19% below the national average.

"For too long our long-term care system has faced constant underfunding and privatization," said Heather Smith, President of United Nurses of Alberta. "Increasing the number of public long-term care beds with appropriate staffing levels will ensure residents receive the safest and most cost-effective care possible."

Studies done by the OECD indicate that the 34 member countries have on average enough long-term care capacity for 4% of their population over the age of 65. By that count, Alberta should have about 20,000, a shortfall of nearly 6000 beds.

“The crisis in seniors care can be largely addressed if the government is willing to invest in building enough long-term care places to meet the current and future needs and to employ more medically trained staff to increase the number of care hours from 3.6 to 4.5 hours/day” said Noel Somerville, the Chair of Public Interest Alberta’s Seniors Task Force.

“The Prentice government needs to revise its six year old Continuing Care Strategy that caps the number of LTC beds at 14,500 and stop putting public funds into building more corporately run supportive living facilities that charge families huge amounts of money for extra care and supports," said Somerville.

The release of this position paper comes as Alberta Health Services concludes the continuing care system review that they have been quietly conducting for the past six months. The Seniors Task Force is calling for the report and recommendations of the Continuing Care Resolution Team to be publicly released.

“People are getting frustrated and angry when they hear that seniors and their families are not getting the care they need in the final years of their lives, and are not going accept this government continuing on as if the seniors care strategy is working,”  said Bill Moore-Kilgannon, Executive Director of Public Interest Alberta. “While AHS has just wrapped up its review of our continuing care system, unless Albertans start speaking out and telling their stories about seniors care system, I am afraid that little will change with the government."

Read the full report on pialberta.org.