Seniors’ Month 2019 is coming to a close. For the Seniors’ Advocate, Dr. Suzanne Brake, June has been another very busy month of travelling, talking and listening to seniors throughout the province.
The Office of the Seniors’ Advocate was established in 2017 to give voice to seniors’ issues and concerns; to ensure that the programs, services and policies developed for seniors actually meet the needs of seniors.
Over the past number of months Dr. Brake has had many discussions with seniors, one-to-one and in group settings. In this time, the Advocate has been learning from seniors exactly what issues concern them most and whether or not their needs are being met.
“Each issue brought forward by seniors is important for every single Newfoundlander and Labradorian because we are all aging.”
– Dr. Suzanne Brake
It has become very clear that the issues which are important to seniors are shared from region to region. While no senior has ever stated that it was okay for them to receive poor services or bad treatment, it happens. Unfortunately, when problems occur over and over again, sometimes people get used to them and accept bad services as “normal”.
“Systemic problems grow over time and flourish when we, as a society, normalize them. But normalizing problems is simply agreeing to accept the status quo rather than make improvements.”
– Dr. Suzanne Brake
In the coming weeks, the Seniors’ Advocate will be releasing her first report detailing the major issues that seniors have brought to the attention of the Seniors’ Advocate. The document will also demonstrate the Advocate’s plans to move the issues forward.
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Media contact
Dr. Suzanne Brake
Seniors’ Advocate
(709) 729-6603 1-833-729-6603 (toll free)
Fax: (709) 729-6630
seniorsadvocate@seniorsadvocatenl.ca
http://www.seniorsadvocatenl.ca 
Backgrounder
The Office of the Seniors’ Advocate is an independent office created through the Seniors’ Advocate Act. In November 2017, Newfoundland and Labrador appointed Dr. Suzanne Brake as its first Seniors’ Advocate. The Office was established to identify, review and analyze systemic issues related to seniors; work collaboratively with seniors’ organizations, service providers and others to identify and address systemic issues related to seniors; and make recommendations to government and government agencies respecting changes to improve seniors’ services.
The Office’s first Activity Report will be tabled in the House of Assembly fall 2019. This Report, based on the Office’s two-year Activity Plan, is an annual legislative requirement.