I think a lot of attention has been directed toward seniors' residences and institutions for, obviously, very good and compelling reasons, but it may come a bit at the expense of seniors who are experiencing isolation and vulnerability in their own homes. They're now removed from many of the supports they typically have, including children, who have a more difficult challenge reaching out to them and providing those kinds of normal supports that they would.
The sense of vulnerability that seniors are feeling, as well as the reduced care that they're getting—whether it's personal care or medical care, access to the typical needs of life, shopping and so forth—has increased the level of stress significantly, certainly within our community, and I think it's replicated in every community in Canada. That has had consequences as well. We have seen a surge in the need for psychological counselling. There are many groups within the community—and, again, I know this is echoed in so many different places across the country—that provide outreach programs to seniors, volunteer-driven telephoning and visitation of some sort or another. All of these things have to come into play.
Sometimes I think it's important for us to recall that it's not just about money. It's about creating platforms and vehicles for people to do what they're motivated to do while they don't necessarily know how to navigate towards doing it. Even for some of the educational programs, the instructional things, the direction that would be provided within faith-based and religious communities, at the municipal level or even at the provincial or federal level, the need to help Canadians understand where they can play a role and make a contribution is also an important consideration in the overall strategy.