Regina, Saskatchewan - Public Health Agency of Canada

Today, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, and Member of Parliament for Regina-Lumsden- Lake Centre, Tom Lukiwski, were pleased to host a roundtable on healthy aging.

The roundtable was attended by a variety of seniors- and health-related organizations and was an opportunity to hear their perspectives and ideas on healthy aging related issues such as dementia, injury prevention, mental health and age-friendly communities.

Minister Ambrose reiterated the Government of Canada’s commitment to the health, well-being and quality of life of Canada’s seniors, their families and caregivers, and recognized the importance of healthy aging and access to needed healthcare services. She emphasized areas where the Government of Canada is showing leadership by promoting seniors’ mental health and physical well-being, raising awareness to prevent falls and injuries, addressing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and promoting the development of age-friendly communities throughout Canada.

The Minister also discussed with participants Canada’s commitment to creating conditions for healthy aging by highlighting a few key initiatives including:

• The National Dementia Research and Prevention Plan, which supports a range of investments and initiatives that address the growing challenge of dementia and the significant impact it has on individuals, families, and caregivers.
• The release of the Seniors’ Falls in Canada: Second Report, which presents comprehensive data on injuries and death related to falls among Canadians 65 years and over, as well as evidence on risk factors and best practices for prevention. 
• An Information for Seniors and an Information for Caregivers portal on seniors.gc.ca, which was developed as a central source of information for seniors, their families, and caregivers on health, mental health, dementia, financial matters, care options and powers of attorney.
• The announcement of the Canadian Employers for Caregivers Plan, which includes the establishment of a Panel with a mandate to engage with employers on cost-effective and promising workplace practices that support employed caregivers. This is part of the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan 2014.
• Government initiatives to support progress in palliative care so that Canadians receive the compassionate, end-of-life care they need. The Government of Canada has provided $6 million in funding to support the development of community-integrated palliative care models and training in palliative care to front-line healthcare providers. As well, since 2006, the Government, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, invested approximately $43 million in the area of palliative care research and has also supported research on late-life issues to ensure that Canada emerges as a leader in this area.
• AGE-WELL, a new Network of Centres of Excellence, that will receive $36.6 million from the Government of Canada over five years to help seniors live independently and safely at home. Through a collaborative approach with industry partners, not-for-profit organizations and researchers, AGE-WELL will identify the needs of seniors and find ways to reduce the burden on their caregivers.

Quotes

“Seniors are a vital part of our communities, and our Government is committed to helping them live healthy, active and independent lives. Today’s meeting with seniors- and health-related organizations provided valuable information on ways to make communities safer and healthier places for Canadians to live and thrive as they age.”
The Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health

“I was pleased to join Minister Ambrose in Regina today to have this important conversation on healthy aging. I feel confident that the Government of Canada will continue to expand on successful opportunities in Regina, and in the rest of Canada, for seniors, families and caregivers.”
MP Tom Lukiwski 
Member of Parliament for Regina-Lumsden- Lake Centre

"Thanks to Minister Ambrose for talking to community organizations today about innovative programs to promote Healthy Aging.  Community organizations do a lot of the front line work and know where there are gaps and also have many excellent ideas about how we can improve the quality of life for our aging population, so we appreciate the Government of Canada's support in these areas." 
Anita Hopfauf
Executive Director
Schizophrenia Society of Saskatchewan