Showing Our Seniors That We Care - by Councillor Paula Fletcher, seconded by Councillor Shelley Carroll

Currently, The Toronto Seniors' Forum is running a Show Us That You Care Campaign with the following requests: 1. To the Provincial Government It is estimated that $2 billion annually will support the program infrastructure to enable Ontario seniors to age in their homes or in their community in dignity and respect. We demand that the Ontario Government: · Plan and put in place comprehensive Ageing in Place programming for older adults · Immediately implement comprehensive needs-based home care for older adults · Support integrated and wrap-around seniors' services in the community, building on existing public infrastructure · Reverse immediately the Public Health cuts of 2018, with cost of living adjustments 2. To the Federal Government High-quality Long Term Care is social infrastructure and deserves federal funding as much as bridges, highways, public buildings and pipelines. We have good estimates that, appropriately adjusted for inflation, $2 billion a year for Ontario and around $8 billion for the rest of the country, will make available comprehensive home care for seniors as recommended in 2002 by the Romanow Commission. Applying these funds will provide high standards of safety and care, guaranteeing: · older adults' safety · older adults' dignity · older adults' respectful treatment For the effective management of this government expenditure, older adults must be consulted. The funds must be spent with: · careful planning · accountability Older adults deserve health care providers who make available highly qualified staff to care for them. The highly qualified staff provide critical care to older adults and therefore must be guaranteed: · full time employment · equitable and adequate pay · equitable and adequate benefits · good and safe working conditions 3. To the Provincial and Federal Governments Decades of research and policy on the social determinants of health indicate the need to reduce the income inequities in Canadian society. The allied health care workers who serve older adults are grossly underpaid. These workers are predominantly female and racialized - Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC). · We demand that the Ontario and Federal Governments legislate the implementation of employment and wage equity for BIPOC allied healthcare workers.