Seniors' advocate identifies 'alarming' resource gap following public engagement process

Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate says a public engagement process involving seniors, family and caregiversidentified an "alarming" gap in resources affecting vulnerable individuals age65 and older.

At a news conference Thursday, Susan Walsh said seniors and caregivers who participated in the public engagement sessions identified two systemic areas of concern.

"Seniors in this province are struggling not just with accessing health care, but also financially," she said.

According to Walsh,913 seniors across the province completed surveys and 390 seniors participated in in-person consultation sessions.

Based on the results of the engagement process, Walsh said, her office will focus on helping seniors struggling with the cost of living and the accompanying social determinants of health.

According to the report, 32 per cent of seniors who responded to the survey didn't feel they had sufficient income to meet their needs even though only 14 per cent said they receive the guaranteed income supplement.

"This finding completely debunks the myth that, you know, if you reach age 65 and you access your federal and provincial benefits, you'll financially be OK. It's just not true," she said.

During consultations with very low-income individuals, safe housing was a major worry, Walsh said.

"Theft and break-ins and poor living conditions,including mould and rodents in some of the low-cost housing were a real reality for them," she said.

She said some seniors admitted to skipping meals and going without medication due to cost.

"Think about what that will mean for our seniors as they age. They will be sicker if they don't have the resources they need. That's alarming."

Seniors' benefit should be indexed: Walsh

Walsh said her office had input in the recent budget process with some success like the elimination of fees for driver medicals for seniors but there was "nothing substantial" to assist most seniors in the final budget.

This year's provincial budget did include a five per cent increase in the seniors' benefit. Individuals who receive the benefit will see an extra $72 a year, maximum.

"That is not what our office asked for when we provided our submission to the budget. We had asked for the seniors' benefit to be indexed. We still stand by that," she said.

Walsh noted inflation and the rising cost of living is particularly hard on seniors living on fixed incomes.

"Those incomes have not kept pace with inflation. They just haven't," she said.

Indexing social benefitsto inflation has been a long-standing request from Newfoundland and Labrador anti-poverty advocates.

Access to primarycare, long-term care prioritized

Seniors who responded to the survey ranked access to health care as a concern equally as high as the cost of living.

More than 136,000 people across the province don't have access to a medical provider according to the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association. Twenty-four per cent of seniors surveyed said access toa family doctor was an area where health needs weren't met.

The report also includes criticism of the province's long-term care system.

According to the report, 18 per cent of seniors surveyed in Newfoundland pointed to staffing in long-term care as the top area for improvement. The result was different in Labrador, where 38 per cent of seniors surveyed identified a need for more long term-care facilities and spaces.

Last fall about halfway through the consultation process Walsh called for a review of long-term and personal-care homes in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Health Minister Tom Osborne officially announced a "comprehensive" review in February.

"I've continued to work with that department to ensure that the structure of that review meets our needs," Walsh said.

Earlier this week, Osborne announced new recruitment and retention bonuses for long-term care workers.

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