1 THE SENIOR TIMES AUGUST 2018 Seniors Resource Centre 721 Victoria Street Prince George BC V2L 2K5 250 564 5888 [email protected]PGCOS Seniors Fair 2018 2 PGCOS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 3 TRIVIA COMPETITION 2018 4 HELP WANTED 4 New Federal Minister of Seniors 5 Seniors Traded As Commodies 5 Fesval of Trees 6 Understanding the Lile Things 7 Senior Moments 7 Acve Aging Project 8 Volunteers needed 8 Sudoku 8 Exploring the www 9 ASK 9 Adversements 10 MARK YOUR CALENDAR 11 CALENDAR 12 NOMINATION FORM 13 INSIDE THIS EDITION NOTICE: PG COUNCIL OF SENIORS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 1:00 PM KEITH GORDON ROOM, PG PUBLIC LIBRARY Elecon of Directors. Refreshments served. See page 3 this Newsleer for more informaon
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Last month, Hamilton-area MP Filomena Tas-si , a first-term Liberal MP for Hamilton-West-Ancaster-Dundas Ontario and previous Depu-ty Government Whip, was named Minster of Seniors. This is a newly created portfolio. Ms Tassi was a corporate lawyer for six years be-fore turning to public service. She spent twenty years as chaplain at a local Ancaster Catholic Secondary School, and has a strong record of mentoring youth and volunteering for charities and organizations serving youth both locally and abroad. She has also served as a school board trustee.
Ms Tassi’s new position as Minster of Seniors is to “help the government better understand the needs of Canadian seniors and ensure that programs and services are developed that respond to Canada’s aging population”. The Prime Minster’s office stated “this will provide Canadian seniors and future retirees greater security and a better quality of life”.
Since Ms Tassi’s career experience to date has been focused on youth, seniors are encour-aged to inform and educate her about seniors’ needs and concerns — especially about sen-iors’ needs and concerns in the rural North. She can be contacted at (no postage re-quired!):
ment responsible for the delivery of public health
care on the Sunshine Coast, according to the
local media and concerned seniors living on the
Sunshine Coast. Health authorities implement
the health policies of the government in power.
Sunshine Coast seniors’ groups are demanding
with increasing urgency that the contract with
the private company, Trellis Seniors Services,
be cancelled, and for a publicly owned and op-
erated facility built instead. Trellis Seniors Ser-
vices is described as being part of “a web of
SENIORS TRADED AS
COMMODITIES
6
companies with different names” operating private long-term care facilities in BC. It is noted that the
principal of Trellis Seniors Services, Mary MacDougall, is the former Chief Operating Officer of Re-
tirement Concepts, a chain of long-term care facilities in BC.
Retirement Concepts was traded twice in recent years. The second time, in 2017, it was traded to
Anbang, a large China-based insurance company with a murky history. Anbang has since been tak-
en over by the Chinese government. The fate of seniors’ facilities in BC, now owned by the Chi-
nese government, is unclear. What is clear is that fragile seniors who need extensive care be-
come pawns in these transactions.
Since the cost of providing care for seniors in long-term care is covered by the provincial govern-
ment, which pays a fixed amount per resident to the operator, it is a prized source of guaranteed in-
come for investors. Indeed, Trellis has announced that it is planning to build more private long-term
care homes in BC.
The situation on the Sunshine Coast raises an important question for all seniors in BC: Is the pub-
licly-paid provision of health care for BC’s frailest seniors going to continue to be turned
over to private operators that can buy and sell these facilities complete with occupants?
There is a larger question that needs to be considered: is the out-of-hospital, out-of-home care of
fragile seniors in facilities considered a necessary part of a publicly--funded, publicly-accountable,
quality health care system, or not? How has it come about that our oldest citizens can now be
traded as commodities that earn profits for big corporations?
Allison McCray from the annual Festival of Trees is asking if there are some retired folks in Prince George that would be interested in getting involved with the Festi-
val of Trees as they are seeking volunteers with some time to donate. Anyone interested can call Allison at 250-969-8642.
SENIORS TRADED AS COMMODITIES
CONTINUED ...
FESTIVAL OF TREES HELP WANTED
7
Understanding that the little things can matter the most …
Caregiver Support
For those that are caring for a loved one with a life threatening ill-ness in their home.
Coffee for the Caregiver
A drop-in support group for caregivers that offers peer support, and relief from isolation. Thursdays 1 pm—3 pm.
Community Match
If you have been diagnosed as palliative and feel you need some extra support our volunteers will come to you. We offer emotional support, a good visit, and non-judgemental listening. We send our volunteers to your home and to the hospital. Sometimes, some to talk to outside your circle can be helpful.
Remote Hospice
For people that may not be able to leave their homes or live in rural areas we can provide support re-motely. This is a new program, to bring our support into homes through the use of technology.
Please call the Solace Centre for information
250 563 2551
A service provided by The Prince George Hospice Society