THE CANADIAN ELDERCARE ROADMAP INITIATIVE

For a country that prides itself on its healthcare system, we have neglected a large and growing part of the population: the elderly. Someone with little money will still pay taxes all their life, work tooth and nail to make ends meet, and then be pushed to the side and placed in an underfunded and understaffed residence to die when they can no longer take care of themselves. 

 

Proper care where the elderly can live a happy, respectful, and dignified existence at the end of their lives should be a right, no matter how much money they have. Those who are less financially secure should still be able to find and afford these services. Caregiving shouldn’t be a mystery; there should be standardization of the eldercare system in Canada and allow medium and lower priced services to provide what the elderly need without sacrificing quality. 

 

Currently in Phase 1, The Canadian Eldercare Roadmap Initiative will examine the issues currently ailing the public and private eldercare systems and will provide solutions to stakeholders in industry and government. It will also aim to centralize all aspects of eldercare such as home care services, equipment, care centers, and legal assistance in order to facilitate the care process for caregivers. This will allow all those who provide these services to be easily found and offer their services to a greater number of people. A place where caregivers can find all the information and services they need under one roof and be guided by a roadmap built by the very system they use. From the earliest signs of aging to palliative care, the aim of this initiative is to make caregiving easier and more comprehensive and it will help those with less financial means access the care they need.