New report from CALTC calls for seniors to be a priority in 2019 Budget

"If we can build hockey rinks, we can build long-term care homes" says seniors group to Trudeau Government

OTTAWA, Nov. 6, 2018 /CNW/ - Today on Parliament Hill, the Canadian Association for Long Term Care (CALTC) revealed its recommendations for the 2019 Federal Budget and called on the government to use federal infrastructure funding to help rebuild older care homes and fund the creation of 42,000 new long-term care beds across Canada. The National group that advocates for seniors also urged the government to address the severe labour shortage in long-term care and provide better access to innovation and data, helping both Canadian seniors and policy-makers.

"The Government of Canada is directly investing over $180 billion over 12 years on infrastructure for affordable housing, for roads, for hockey rinks, but not a nickel on seniors housing that includes care," says Daniel Fontaine, Chair of CALTC. "The federal government can better demonstrate their commitment to seniors by investing in new and upgraded housing to ensure it meets today's standards and supports the excellent delivery of care."

The recommendations unveiled in Long Overdue: Improving Seniors Care in Canada present critical proposals for strengthening seniors' care across Canada. These include:

• Investing in seniors housing where care is provided by using federal infrastructure funding to create 42,000 new beds and help rebuild older homes by 2023.
• Addressing the seniors care labour shortage by developing a Pan-Canadian Health Human Resources Strategy.
• Supporting innovation and data in health care by mandating funding, and supporting the implementation of a new management information system for long-term care.

About the Canadian Association for Long Term Care  

The Canadian Association for Long Term Care (CALTC) is the national voice of long-term care providers delivering publicly-funded health care services to seniors across Canada, when they can no longer live at home.

SOURCE Canadian Association for Long Term Care (CALTC)

Veronica Said, Canadian Association for Long-Term Care, 613-583-7372 / [email protected]