Affirming the Dignity of Seniors
On the occasion of National Seniors
Day, October 1, the Quebec Golden Age Federation
(FADOQ) Network
issued a press release stating that "Quebec must ensure that all
seniors can live in dignity, regardless of their income or place
of
residence. The pandemic has highlighted the importance
of improving their quality of life."
The FADOQ Network brings together and represents people aged 50 and over with nearly 525,000 members, 16 regional groups in Quebec, over 700 clubs and some 10,000 volunteers.
Below are excerpts from an article by Stéphane St-Amour, published in the Courrier Laval, which presents the organization's demands to affirm the dignity of Quebec's seniors:
[These] specific demands are divided into four parts related to health care, protecting rights, experienced workers, and taxes.
Taxes
[...] In Quebec, six out of 10 seniors live on annual incomes of $30,000 or less, with more than half (58 per cent) receiving incomes of less than $20,000.
For the Network, dental care as well as the purchase of glasses and hearing aids should be covered by the Quebec Health Care Plan or be eligible for a grant.
[...]
The fourth and final request in this section is to double the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) death benefit, as the maximum amount of $2,500 paid to the estate has never been increased, adjusted or indexed since this tax measure was introduced in 1998.
According to a study published five years ago, this taxable benefit covered only 37 per cent of the average cost of funeral expenses. In 2018, the Institute for Research and Socio-Economic Information (IRIS) estimated that the additional cost to the government of raising the maximum death benefit to $5,000 would be $118 million.
Experienced Workers
To address the current labour shortage, it is proposed that these two incentives be put in place to encourage experienced workers to return to the labour market or even postpone their retirement:
- Double the amount of time a QPP claimant can choose to stop receiving their QPP pension. Right now it's six months.
[...]
- Extend the income replacement benefit for disabled workers.
Protecting Rights
In this housing crisis, the FADOQ Network is asking for two legislative changes to protect senior tenants.
- Exclude private seniors' residences (PSRs) from the provisions of article 1955 of the Civil Code of Quebec (clause F), which prevents a tenant from refusing a rent increase under certain conditions.
- Allow joint applications to be filed in connection with the setting of rent so that annual increases can be contested jointly before the Administrative Housing Tribunal (TAL). Currently, if all the tenants of the same PSR wish to contest a rent increase applicable to all, each resident must individually take action before the TAL.
[...]
Health Care
In terms of health care, the shift towards home care must be orchestrated in the first months of the mandate of the party that will come to power, according to the FADOQ Network, which has made it a national priority.
"Quebec spends only 1.3 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on long-term home care for seniors, compared to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 1.7 per cent," it maintains.
To accelerate the transformation of the health care system to meet the needs of an aging population, the Network's demands are as follows:
- Increase investment in home care.
- Deploy intensive home care (IHC) teams across Quebec.
- Break down the silos of health professions.
- Implement an ambitious workforce staffing plan and establish safe care ratios over the medium term.
To read the complete list of the FADOQ Network's demands click here.
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 24 - October 3, 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmld2022/Articles/D520245.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca