Health Committee on Oct. 17th, 2011
Evidence of meeting #8 for Health in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was care.
A recording is available from Parliament.
On the agenda
MPs speaking
Also speaking
- Eleanor White President, Canadian Chiropractic Association
- John Haggie President, Canadian Medical Association
- Barb Mildon President-elect, Canadian Nurses Association
- Frank Molnar Secretary-Treasurer, Member of the Executive, Canadian Geriatrics Society
- Maura Ricketts Director, Office of Public Health, Canadian Medical Association
- Don Wildfong Nurse Advisor, Policy and Leadership, Canadian Nurses Association
4:50 p.m.
Secretary-Treasurer, Member of the Executive, Canadian Geriatrics Society
No, we're the creatures of our environment. I'm an Ontario doctor, so all I know are the pros and cons of my system. Health care being a provincial mandate, I know my provincial environment.
I don't know if anyone else has anything else to add.
4:50 p.m.
President, Canadian Medical Association
I can only echo that. I think it's very much a patchwork. There are hot spots where there are local centres that have focused on dementia care, but they are little oases in a desert otherwise.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
Parm Gill Brampton—Springdale, ON
To the Canadian Chiropractic Association, how beneficial is chiropractic treatment for seniors with chronic disease?
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Joy Smith
I believe, Dr. Wildfong, you want to make a comment. And then who would like to take Mr. Gill's question following that? Okay, Ms. White.
First, we'll hear from Dr. Wildfong.
October 17th, 2011 / 4:50 p.m.
Don Wildfong Nurse Advisor, Policy and Leadership, Canadian Nurses Association
I would just point out that I'm not a doctor, just to clarify that.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Nurse Advisor, Policy and Leadership, Canadian Nurses Association
Thank you.
With respect to the healthy aging policies or provincial and territorial treatments of older adults, I think indeed there is variation across the country. And I think we'd do ourselves a great service to look at comparative analyses at an international level as well.
We know, for instance, that in places like Copenhagen—unlike in Canada, where we have public health nurses make home visits for the healthy babies and healthy children program, which is wildly successful—they have public health nurses visit people over the age of 70 in their homes to assess their needs, to help them with health system utilization and navigation, health information, and health-seeking behaviour. I think the international comparison is warranted.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
President, Canadian Chiropractic Association
I think he addressed it to the Canadian Chiropractic Association.
Lower back pain is incredibly prevalent in our society and generally starts in middle age, often occupationally, and can continue in a chronic manner. Geriatric lower back pain, or back problems, can have many different types of etiology.
As for effectiveness with respect to treatment from chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy, the way one treats different conditions varies depending upon the general health of the individual. I'd say that the longer the condition is in existence in the individual, the more the treatment becomes one of management, as opposed to curative.
Very often in a senior, if you can extend the independence of an individual or their ability to enjoy their life—and at a younger age to continue with their work—that's success. And chiropractic has an excellent record with back pain and back function.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
4:55 p.m.
President, Canadian Chiropractic Association
In a typical practice? Is that what you're referring to?
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
4:55 p.m.
President, Canadian Chiropractic Association
Again, I'll go back to my comment about the age of the practitioner. In my practice, I would say that over 50% of my patients are over 40. With a young grad, they may see more younger families.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Joy Smith
Thank you so much, Ms. White.
Thank you, Mr. Gill.
Five-minute rounds come very short, don't they?
We'll now go to Dr. Sellah.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Djaouida Sellah Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I would like to thank all our guests for coming here to refresh our memories and to make things clearer at times. I have two questions.
Just now, we were talking only about patients. My question is for Dr. Haggie and it is about the medical staff.
An aging population also affects the medical profession. Has your organization looked into what the medical workforce will be like in 2036? Over the next few years, should we change the number of training positions in universities and hospitals for health professionals? Do you think we should change recruitment policies for foreign-trained health professionals?