In Lévis last week, we raised $250,000 for two palliative care beds. The community still has to come up with between 70% and 80% of the funding needed. This creates tremendous financial pressure within communities, and yet this is part of health care from cradle to grave. In my opinion, the government should pitch in the remaining amount.
I would like to go back to Mr. Robillard's point:
aging in place, aging in community. Aging implies a loss of ability,
simply to make meals, for example.
My fear with housing is we build a nice house and put the elder in it, and then we say, “Okay, get on with it.” Then we forget about the needs of this person, such as the fact that she may not want to cook her meals herself.
How do you see housing and aging together? Is there a new way to set up housing as Canadians are getting older? That's an open question.