COVID-19 shows support for home care long overdue

 By Kelli Stajduhar, Tanya Sanders The global pandemic of COVID-19 has brought long-standing gaps in the Canadian care system sharply into focus, particularly for older adults who cannot live independently. As we collectively grasp the enormity of the troubling living conditions for Canada’s residents of long term care, and the

What does the government’s promised ‘disability lens’ really mean?

 The last minute Liberal election commitment to apply a disability lens to all federal government decisions was both fought for and welcomed widely by the disability community across the country. But it’s easy to promise. Now the government must deliver.  The pledge for a disability lens meets its first test

What Kind of Health Workforce Will Be Needed to Serve Our Aging Population?

 By Gregory Huyer and Ivy Lynn Bourgeault We know that Canada’s population is aging. Among the many statistics that have been reported is how in 2015, the proportion of Canadian seniors surpassed that of youth under 15 for the first time. The gap will continue to widen over the next

Reforming Healthcare Funding to Address the Needs of Our Aging Population

 Why we need a publicly funded insurance program for home care and long-term care By Réjean Hébert Funding home care and long-term care is fast becoming the main challenge of our outdated medicare system – a system developed in the mid-twentieth century for a young population that mostly required acute

Moving Forward on Health Care Reform

 Why more money for health care is not the answer In the Speech from the Throne and since, the new Liberal government has clearly said it is ready to re-engage with the provinces and territories on health care. This is a welcome development. For most of the past decade, the

Why Isn’t Health Care A Major Campaign Issue?

 Canadians’ commitment to a publicly funded universally based health care system remains as strong as ever. Yet the debate over the future of health care continues to rage on. The competing narratives should be by now familiar. On the one hand, commentators incessantly remind us that our health-care system is

Teams in Action: Primary Health Care Teams for Canadians

 Joe, 60, has diabetes, high blood NO pressure and arthritis. He says that shuttling around town to various health appointments is like a full-time job. "I'm never sure how much these people talk to each other," he adds. "I worry that something's going to get missed somewhere." Health concerns —