What leadership should the federal government provide in its array of programs? You go from health to housing and all in between. How would you advise this committee as it's doing its report on recommending the federal government show leadership? You're telling us we're at the early age of the tsunami, and the size of the tsunami that's coming depends on who is presenting to this committee.

5 p.m.

Executive Director, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists

Janet Craik

One thing I'm hearing across all the witnesses is to take a biopsychosocial approach to health, not just a sickness-medical model. I think if we use that paradigm to help understand the social needs of the seniors aging in place, their psychological needs and their physical needs and attend to those, it will save us in the long run.

5 p.m.

Liberal

Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE

Mr. Shiner, you referenced that in Atlantic Canada, 40% of a senior's income goes towards housing. How does that compare across the country? What does that 40% number look like across the country?

5 p.m.

Professor, Atlantic Seniors Housing Research Alliance, Mount Saint Vincent University, As an Individual

Dr. Donald Shiner

It's highest in Atlantic Canada and it gets lower as you move west, because the age curve diminishes as you move west. In other words, the provinces are younger as you move further west, so we have more older people in Atlantic Canada who are on low income. As a result they're in housing stress.

5 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bryan May

Thank you.

Next is Steven Blaney, please.

5 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

First of all, I would like to thank you for your testimony.

This is the last meeting at which we'll receive witnesses for our study. Thanks to the quality of your testimonies and that of the other people we have heard from, I think we are going to produce one of our best reports in some time. That's what I told the committee members. This is an extremely critical issue. As Mr. Morrisey said earlier, we're talking about a tsunami.

Mr. Shiner, you said that we will never grow old, we will never get sick, and I guess we will never die, either.

I would like now to go into this very end area and ask your view, because we have not yet covered this issue. If you know that your leaving will be a burden for those you leave behind, if you leave people behind, it certainly impacts your quality of life.

I would like to hear about the issue of someone who dies who is facing what we call “death care” services. Is it an issue, is it a problem for some people? I'd like to hear from you and maybe I can turn to Madam Sullivan.

5 p.m.

Executive Director, Hospice Care Ottawa

Lisa Sullivan

Sure.

If I understand correctly, you're talking about services after someone dies.

5 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC

Funeral and burial services, yes.

5 p.m.

Executive Director, Hospice Care Ottawa

Lisa Sullivan

Yes, okay.

In working in palliative care, one of the things that we know is really important is having the conversation about advanced care planning. As my colleague here has said, people don't think about it, don't prepare for it, and they sure don't prepare for death.

Sometimes, if they've done a will, people think it's all they need to do, but there is a lot more to it. I think the advanced care planning and preparation, and having the conversation with your loved ones about what you want and what you don't want are really important.

In terms of costs for a funeral—I think that's what you're getting at—I'm not as familiar with that. I do know that we do a lot of work with those who are bereaved and some end up being in stressful financial situations because they haven't the funds to deliver the kind of service or whatever it is they want for their loved ones.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC

Thank you.

Does someone else want to comment on the issue?

Monsieur Beaney.

5:05 p.m.

Vice-President, Operations, Revera Inc.

John Beaney

Thank you very much. It's a really important question.

In addition to Ms. Sullivan's comments, I think it is very important not only to plan financially and resource-wise, but most importantly, for what we see quite often in our long-term care homes: the unexpected death of a loved one. Families are not prepared for that. They are not prepared emotionally.

As Ms. Sullivan has commented, there is a great need to have that discussion, to prepare people emotionally, to help them understand the conditions that their loved ones are suffering from. They are often complex and we can't solve them; we can't make them better. We are often managing people with those complex conditions and helping them come to terms with those conditions as part of their aging process, which is actually one of the most important parts of palliative care and end-of-life planning.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC

When we work, we have the right to what is called a death benefit from CPP. I just learned that it has been frozen since 1998 at $2,500, and is not indexed. My understanding is that it's really not enough.

Do you think the federal government could play a role, either financially or even in other ways, as you've just mentioned, in terms of preparing Canadians for the eventuality that we will all face? Maybe others would like to comment, so feel free to do so.