Provincial Advisory Council on Aging and Seniors holds first meeting

Health and Community Services Minister John Ottenheimer is pleased to announce the members of the Provincial Advisory Council on Aging and Seniors have been appointed and the first meeting of the council will take place today.

�This council will meet regularly to discuss issues surrounding aging and look at ways government can contribute in assisting seniors to live safely and independently,� said Minister Ottenheimer. �We value the input from our qualified committee members and look forward to the information they will gather and pass on to this department and to the general public.�

Appointed to the council are:

• Joan Marshall - Retired nurse educator, involved with Seniors Resource Centre - St. John's
• Marg Adey - Vice-president of the Alzheimer Society of Newfoundland and Labrador - St. John's
• William Kean - Retired, concerned citizen - St. John's
• Don Holloway - Instrumental in forming the Marystown Golden Age Seniors Club, member of the National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation of Canada, member of the National Advisory Council on Aging - Marystown
• Oliver Tucker - President of the Random Senior Citizens 50plus Club - Hillview
• Graham Mercer - Retired teacher and active volunteer - Carbonear
• Flo Paul - Co-ordinator of the Inclusion and Well Being Initiative and Supporting Older Adults with Developmental Disabilities Project - Gambo
• Phyllis Gard - Formerly a family caregiver and volunteer with such organizations as the Canadian Red Cross and the founder of the "When I am Old I Shall Wear Purple" group - Springdale
• Violet Richards - Link director for the Newfoundland and Labrador Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation, volunteer with the St. Anthony 50 plus club - St. Anthony
• Marina T. Simon - Retired school teacher and member of several community groups - Cape St. George
• Miriam Lyall - An Inuit interpreter and activist for Inuit issues - Happy Valley-Goose Bay
• Beryl Belbin - 14-year foster parent, nurse and former member of the Nain Hospital Auxilary - Forteau

The council was announced in November, together with a Division of Aging and Seniors, and Ministerial Council of Aging and Seniors - new initiatives focused on seeking the input of seniors in planning for the future.

Health and Community Services Parliamentary Secretary Ross Wiseman chairs the council. "I am looking forward to working together with this talented and experienced group from around the province to bring seniors issues to the forefront," said Mr. Wiseman. "Our seniors are the backbone of our culture and it's imperative that we, as a government, listen to their wants and needs."

The council will advise government on quality-of-life issues facing seniors; identify opportunities for government to adapt and develop policies, programs and services to better accommodate an aging population; promote healthy aging and help create an environment that better understands aging.

The first meeting will consist of introductions and roundtable discussions, as well as a presentation on elder abuse.

Newfoundland and Labrador is home to approximately 66,300 seniors, which is close to 13 per cent of the population. Statistics Canada predicts that by 2021, the province will have more than one in four persons 65 years or older, the highest proportion in the country.

Media contact: Deborah Thomas, Communications, (709) 729-2888, 727-2701

2005 03 30                 9:35 a.m.