Canada's nurses are urging the country's health ministers to put seniors' care at the top of the agenda when they meet with nurse union leaders for a health policy meeting on Friday, October 16.
The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, in an October 14 statement from Winnipeg, called for renewal of key federal health funding agreements covering long-term care, mental health and addictions, and home and community care, warning that expiring agreements create funding cliffs.
The federation's proposed national seniors' care strategy prioritizes care close to home, mandatory staffing standards for seniors-focused services, disease prevention and rehabilitation, and pay parity for care workers.
Ministers will also hear from geriatrician Dr. Samir Sinha on the role of home and community care — a model advocates say lets older Canadians age in the place they prefer while easing pressure on hospitals.
