Yes, I think it's very important to have sustainable funding. The health conditions that seniors face relating to their communication and hearing issues will not go away. Programs need to be put in place that have sustainable funding.
What we've been experiencing in the last number of years is cutbacks in speech-language pathology and audiology positions within hospitals on the assumption that certain aspects of the care we provide should be provided in the community; however, funding has not gone into the community to have those services in place.
That fits with the Canadian Medical Association's idea of the medical home, for example, where there might be medical practice that would have other health professionals involved there as well in order to help address some of the speech and hearing issues in those more vulnerable, frail seniors.