The Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba
There are two elections looming. Now is the time to reach out to politicians and let them know your concerns.
valued advisor and partner in promoting safe care and living options for Manito- ba’s seniors for more than 60 years. As Manitoba’s aging population continues to grow, this is a time in our province’s history to strengthen the continuum of care in preparation for the largest group of seniors our province has ever seen. There is a greater reliance than ever be- fore on the continuum of care. At the Association, our members
T
he Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba (LTCAM)is a non-profit, member- based association that has been a
like” environment. These buildings are offering a high level of care without any regulations, licensure, or monitoring. Registered personal care homes must abide by all of these safeguards ensuring the well-being of our seniors.
Government should ensure that all
residences where care is provided to seniors be subject to a regulatory envi- ronment appropriate to the care level offered.
Infrastructure
believe that Seniors’ Housing must be appropriate, easily accessible and safe; taking into account the care levels re- quired as needs increase. Currently, Manitoba offers a number of different care and living options for seniors, however there is always room to learn, grow and make improvements! Here are just a few ideas. More can be found at
www.roadtocare.ca Safety: In past few years, a number of new hous- ing builds for seniors, called Independent Living with Services, also known as Assisted Living or Retirement Living, have begun offering a “personal care home-
Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba
funding: Federal
funding exists for housing where care for seniors is not provided, however this funding does not include seniors’ housing where care is provided, even though it is their home. Approximately 40% of the current personal care home infrastructure is old and the physical layouts are obsolete, especially in terms of treating demen-
tia, which puts residents and staff at risk. These out- dated designs feature two- to three-bedroom, ward- like rooms, shared washrooms and bathing facilities, crowded dining rooms, and narrow hallways with noisy hospital-like nursing stations located too close to residents’ rooms. Crowded areas with noise, cause anxiety and high levels of stress leading to negative be- haviors such as striking out by of residents. The federal government should change the funding
Social engagement
Priority Area: Social Engagement Goal Statement: To provide meaning-
ful, accessible social engagement opportu- nities for all older Manitobans Background: Social engagement is an important contributor to healthy aging. A lack of social participation or so- cial isolation puts people at increased risk of disabil- ity, heart disease, stroke, and mental health prob- lems such as depression, dementia, and premature death. Social isolation is as much a health risk as other well-known
risk activity.
such as smoking or lack of physical isolated
factors, Socially
individuals also
use more health care services than those who are more socially connected, and they are more likely to have repeat hospitaliza- tions and longer hospital stays. Social participation rates decrease with
age so older adults face an increased risk of being socially isolated. Being single or wid-
owed, living alone, having less education, having low income or financial strains, and a lack of access to transportation are also risk factors for social isolation. Among older
Canadians, 35% for Manitoba
Association of Senior Centres
women aged 65 to 74 and 32% of women age 75 or older would have liked to participate in more social activities in the past year. For men, the percentages were 31% for those in the 65 to 74 year age group, and 31% for those in the 75+ year age group, re- spectively. About a quarter (26%) of women aged 65 to 74 and almost a third (31%) of women aged 75 or older who would have
liked to be more socially active had symp- toms of depression. Among men, about 18% in both age groups had depressive symptoms. Given the significant impact of social engagement on health, and the height- ened risk for social isolation among older
adults, it is critical that there be enough opportunities for older adults to remain socially engaged. It has been estimated that if we could
increase older adults’ activity level by one social activity, we could reduce the propor- tion of individuals who develop a mobil- ity disability from 62% to 43%. Similarly, older adults who participated on a daily or weekly basis in social activity had a 40% reduced risk of developing dementia compared those who were not socially en- gaged. Action: • Develop a social engagement network
of organizations to identify older adults at risk of social isolation and provide appro- priate resources and follow-up. • Continue to work with the regional
health authorities, service providers com- munity partners and funders to increase the awareness of existing social engage- ment programs and services. • Improve/increase communication
with older adults regarding the available programs and services that address social isolation.
• Actively promote best practices relat- ed to social engagement i.e.: - A & O: Support Services for Older
Adults specialized social engagement pro- graming;
- Enhance and promote senior/active living centre programming; and - Enhance community supports. • Support volunteer programs specifi-
cally aimed at strengthening people’s con- nections across generations, genders, and cultures. • Advocate for affordable transporta-
tion options to encourage mobility among older Manitobans and reduce barriers to social participation. • Promote social engagement by creat- ing age-friendly communities. • Focus on the promotion of active
healthy aging in order for older adults to reduce their risk of becoming social iso- lated.
Manitoba Association of Senior Centres
(MASC) is located at 19 – 2825 Ness Av- enue, Winnipeg. Call 204-792-5838, email
info@manitobaseniorcentres.com, or go on- line to
www.manitobaseniorcentres.com.
Universal accessibility should be encouraged.
criteria for seniors’ housing to also include seniors’ residences where care is provided. Our provincial politicians should lobby the federal government to have the federal funding for housing include residences where care is provided to seniors. The preceding is just a snapshot of suggestions we
have. Let those running for election know your con- cerns. We will help you! Simply go to
www.roadtocare. ca and complete the form you will find there. We will send a letter to all the political parties on your behalf, expressing the suggestions and ideas you will find on the webpage with the form. Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Mani- toba (LTCAM) is located at 202-135 McGregor Street, Winnipeg. Call 204-477-9888, email
info@ltcam.mb.ca, or go online to
www.ltcam.mb.ca.
14
whatsupwinnipeg.ca
August 2019
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