Health and Community Services
June 8, 2007Minister Launches
Seniors Month in Newfoundland and Labrador
The Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and
Community Services, officially launched Seniors Month in the province
today by attending events at the Clarenville Retirement Centre and the
Twin Town Seniors Centre in Clarenville.
"Seniors Month recognizes the valuable contribution
that seniors have made and will continue to make to our province," said
Minister Wiseman. "Seniors have shaped the society in which we live
today. Our government intends to build on the knowledge and experience
of seniors to create an age-friendly province which values our history
and is prepared for our future."
Statistics show that Newfoundland and Labrador has the
most rapidly aging population in Canada, with estimates indicating that
within 10 years, almost 20 per cent of the population will be over the
age of 65. In recognition of this fact, the Provincial Government made a
commitment to establish healthy aging as a priority with an emphasis on
promoting healthy lifestyles and to expand programs and services to meet
the needs of an aging population and ensure they are well planned and
coordinated across departments and agencies.
Over the past three and a half years the Provincial
Government has fulfilled this commitment through the following
initiatives:
- Over $67 million has been invested to construct
new and redeveloped health care facilities including several new
long term care-facilities in Clarenville, Corner Brook, Happy
Valley-Goose Bay and Grand Bank as well the redevelopment of the
Blue Crest Nursing Home in Grand Bank.
- To prepare for the needs of an aging population,
province-wide consultations were held last spring to inform the
development of a Healthy Aging Framework and Action Plan.
- The Provincial Government introduced the
Provincial Wellness Plan to promote the benefits of healthy eating,
active living, staying smoke free and illness and injury prevention.
- Following the launch of the Provincial Wellness
Plan, a Provincial Nutrition Framework and Action Plan was developed
which identifies a key priority as the promotion and encouragement
for seniors to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle.
- The Provincial Government increased the
indexation for the Seniors Benefit to $365 per senior, or $730 per
senior couple and increased the income phase-out range.
- The Provincial Human Rights Code was amended this
year to make it an offence to discriminate for employment based on
age by eliminating the age for mandatory retirement.
- The Provincial Government invested $32.8 million
annually to introduce the Low Income Drug Program to include more
low income families and individuals.
In Budget 2007, an additional enhancement to the
Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription Drug Program was announced
whereby the Provincial Government will invest $17.5 million annually
to protect any individual or family whose drug costs are consuming
an unreasonable share of their income. The program caps the cost of
drugs relative to income at an amount not exceeding 10 per cent and
becomes effective in October.
Established the Ministerial Council on Aging and
Seniors to ensure that there are strong links to other departments,
services and professionals to foster comprehensive programming and
integrated services to support the independence and well-being of
seniors.
Established a Provincial Advisory Council on
Aging and Seniors comprising seniors and experts on aging, to advise
government on matters related to the quality of life for seniors,
and to facilitate public discussion on aging; and,
Established an Aging and Seniors Division within
the Department of Health and Community Services as a centre of
expertise on seniors’ issues.
"Over the past three years we have invested
strategically in initiatives which will benefit seniors and, most
importantly, we have kept the promises we make to seniors in our
province," said Minister Wiseman. "We look forward to launching our new
Healthy Aging Framework in the very near future, which will build on our
successes to date and provide a clear direction for how our government
will proceed in preparing for our future."
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Media contact:
Tansy Mundon
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-1741
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca
2007 06 08
10:10 a.m.
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