Evidence of meeting #14 for Health in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was seniors.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Thank you very much, Mr. Brown. You have another minute if you want to extend that.
Conservative
Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON
I'm just concerned about the statistics. For 2036, we're looking at 25% of the population being seniors and are inadequately prepared for that. I know in Ontario they're saying that there will be no significant new funds for health care in terms of hospitals or community care access. I know at RVH they said that may mean 1% or a freeze at our local hospital, which may mean a freeze of community care access. A freeze, along with collective bargaining agreements, would mean that you couldn't actually service the same population. So it's very worrisome.
Is that what you're seeing in all of the provinces, or is it something unique to the province where I reside?
Member, Board of Directors, Associated Medical Services Inc.
It's certainly not unique to your province; it's right across this country. As provincial budgets are being pressured or restricted, we're looking in Ontario, for instance, where I work, at about a 1% increase. When you look at inflation, however, going at a higher rate than that, that 1% actually represents a reduction in services. So in trying to accommodate our fiscal challenges, we are pulling back everywhere.
I'm afraid it's not a very thoughtful planned reduction and a fiscal restraint. As I've said, we could support and save money if we were able to reduce the transfers to hospitals, but because of silos and lack of integrated health systems and a regional planning approach, we're not able to do that. Certainly our hospital, which is full, would be very pleased to transfer our 140 long-term care beds out into the community.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Thank you, Dr. Turnbull.
We'll now go to our second round of five minutes of questions and answers.
We will begin with Dr. Sellah, please.
NDP
Djaouida Sellah NDP Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair. My first question is for Régine Laurent.
You talked about the status of women in your presentation. Given that the population is aging, will the various chronic diseases affect mostly women, since they live longer and are more likely to live in poverty and serve as informal caregivers?
President, Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec
Thank you for your question.
It's a fact that women have been paid less than men throughout their lives, at least so far. They earn 70%—75% at best—of what men earn. Therefore, their income is lower once they retire. At the same time, they live longer, and they are the ones providing informal care.
We are well aware that poverty is a risk factor. At least, that's how we see it. For women, the risk of chronic disease goes up. At the same time, women in difficult financial and family situations do not have the tools to get out of those situations. Personally, I'm pretty sure that being an older woman with a chronic disease is not something to wish for.
NDP
Djaouida Sellah NDP Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you for the answer.
I also have a question for Dr. Turnbull.
The committee has heard many witnesses talk about prevention as an effective tool against chronic disease. How do you view the role of health care professionals when it comes to prevention?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Excuse me, Dr. Sellah, I will be suspending the committee. I am sorry, but the bells are ringing. They're half-hour bells, so we will reconvene 10 minutes after the votes.
Dr. Morin.
NDP
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Since we are very close to the House, can we take 10 extra minutes? That would leave us 20 minutes to get to the other side.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
If we have the unanimous consent of the committee, we can do that.
Do I have the unanimous consent of the committee to continue for another five minutes?
There is no unanimous consent so we will have to reconvene later.
Dr. Morin.
Conservative
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
As long as we don't have unanimous consent....
Did you say you want a recorded vote?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
There are no votes.
We'll suspend and be back in half an hour. We will resume 10 minutes after the votes.
As far as the witnesses are concerned, my apologies. This is the second time this has happened. I have no control over the bells, but we will be very pleased if you will be patient. We will come back.
Thank you.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Could I ask everyone to please to take their seats, because we are short of time.
I thank the witnesses very much for their indulgence. That's been very kind of you.
Just to confirm for members, it has been clarified that there are no recorded votes when the committee is suspended.
Thank you, Mr. Morin.
NDP
Dany Morin NDP Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Thank you, but I just want to put on the record that all of the NDP members of this committee wanted to give just five minutes to the witnesses.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Joy Smith
Can we now take the remainder of the time to go to our questions, so we'll do something useful? Thank you.
Dr. Sellah, as we stopped at 2:09, I'll give you three minutes.
NDP
Djaouida Sellah NDP Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Should I repeat my question for Dr. Turnbull?
The committee has heard from many witnesses claiming that prevention is an effective tool against chronic disease. How do you see the role of health care professionals in terms of prevention?
Member, Board of Directors, Associated Medical Services Inc.
Thank you very much. I'll be as brief as I can.
Health professionals have an essential and fundamental role in promoting healthy lifestyles, especially among seniors, where they can have an enormous benefit in preventing falls and in promoting better nutrition, healthier bones, etc. So health professionals can play an essential role.
However, I would also have to say that we must create structures permitting health professionals and our elderly population to enjoy a very healthy lifestyle. We've heard about the poor, so we have to ensure that the poor have adequate access to a reasonable diet. We've heard of the need to have appropriate facilities in education, and so we need to have systems to communicate with the elderly, and to promote their better health.
There are lots of structural things that we have to do. But yes, health professionals of all stripes have to play an essential role in promoting the health of our elderly population.
NDP
Djaouida Sellah NDP Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
My next question is for Ms. Wilson.
Are mental illnesses, especially depression, inevitable for seniors receiving long-term care, owing to the types of institutions involved in such care? In other words, are the loss of independence and one's long-term home not significant changes that would lead anyone to be depressed?
Executive Director, Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health
Thank you.
No. A lot of those are risk factors for depression, but one of our most important messages is that depression is not a typical consequence of aging. It is not inevitable, and I think what's equally important is that, if there are a lot of these risk factors in place, and someone is diagnosed as having depression, there are very effective treatments, particularly for older adults—including medications and psychosocial interventions—all of which can be utilized within a setting like long-term care. Unfortunately, right now we don't always have the best structures in place to support people who do have a mental illness in long-term care.
NDP