Evidence of meeting #132 for Status of Women in the 42nd 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.
9:35 a.m.
Brampton South, Lib.
What are the effects on seniors when their needs are not met? Where do they go, for example, if they lack transportation?
Did you talk to the other levels of government, as well? I represent Brampton South, and we have some programs. We now have snow shovelling. City council will come to your group and then address that. Do you have a system set up in your organization so that leaders from different levels of government can come and address their needs?
9:35 a.m.
President, Pembina Active Living (55+)
We have a speaker series, which is open to everybody, to talk about topics that are of interest to seniors, as Alanna mentioned, like driving, medication and all those kinds of things. However, we're probably not nearly as comprehensive as we should be to completely address the issue of loneliness, and issues like transportation, for example.
9:35 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Pam Damoff
We're getting close on time, so for the next round, I'm going to give Ms. Leitch and Ms. Duguid four minutes each.
Kellie, it's over to you.
9:35 a.m.
K. Kellie Leitch Simcoe—Grey, CPC
Thank you very much for taking the time today to come and chat with us.
I have some personal experience with this. I have a gentleman in my life by the name of Kit Leitch, who is my father. His grandchildren now affectionately tell him regularly, “Papa, put your ears in”, because for the longest time he did not want to grapple with the issue of hearing loss. As a single grandparent...it's made a world of difference to us, but it's very obvious when he doesn't have them on—shockingly, actually.
That being said, one of the things our family looked at, and was fortunate enough to be able to deal with, was the issue of cost.
I wanted to ask all of you. I'm sure, at the centre, you have also faced this. Many of your participants probably are using hearing aids regularly. It's not just the cost related to the actual device, its also the batteries and maintenance and everything else. What are your recommendations to our committee for how that should be dealt with?
I recognize that there is, “The government should pay for it,” but what is particularly helpful to us—and I think to the committee—is to be specific. For example, we know that insulin pumps in the last five years have been added to the medical devices discount with regard to federal funding. Are there specific aspects of public policy that would be valuable?
9:35 a.m.
Advisory Board Member, Hearing Health Alliance of Canada
As for batteries—and I know they can cost a huge amount each month—the manufacturers are making rechargeable hearing aids, which is great.
As for support funding, it is so inappropriately done across the country. Some areas are more funded than others. In Ontario, the assisted devices program gives you $500 per hearing aid, and if you need a replacement, you have to hold your breath.
I think additional support could be presented in the context of saving: If you do this, you will save money in long-term care admissions, you will save money in the number of falls, injuries and hip fractures, and you will save money in the medical consultations required to support the onset of cognitive decline. The health care system needs to look at this from an investment and return perspective.
9:35 a.m.
Simcoe—Grey, CPC
I speak to both organizations with respect to this, as you both emphasized prevention and education.
Do you have specific pieces of literature? Do you have specific statistics that you would like us to communicate? I'm a health care professional, a pediatric surgeon, and I don't deal with hearing loss unless it's a birth defect. With respect to my colleagues, particularly the Canadian Nurses Association, having tangibles from industries or associations like yourselves that tell them specifically what the issues are that seniors are trying to grapple with, as opposed to guessing, would be extremely helpful.
Do you know of industry literature that could be made available? I know there are seniors associations. I have the Wasaga Beach Prime Time Club in my constituency who regularly tell me about what their issues are. Are there materials available?
9:40 a.m.
Advisory Board Member, Hearing Health Alliance of Canada
We can provide you with materials, even if we have to write them tomorrow.
We all know what needs to be understood. For health care providers, the mix of understanding of the impact of hearing loss and what it looks like to have somebody sitting in front of you who doesn't understand you—
9:40 a.m.
Simcoe—Grey, CPC
Yes, capabilities.
Alanna, were you going to say something just briefly?
9:40 a.m.
Executive Director, Pembina Active Living (55+)
I was just going to say that at the bottom of.... I'm not sure if you all received the copy of our presentation, but I did reference any of the data that I talk about. There's a little footnote at the bottom that has our studies.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Pam Damoff
We'll get that translated and distributed.
We have Terry Duguid for the final round.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Terry Duguid Liberal Winnipeg South, MB
Welcome to Ottawa. Welcome to Winnipeg weather in Ottawa.
I'd thought I'd get a little chuckle out of that. Oh, well.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Terry Duguid Liberal Winnipeg South, MB
Thank you, Kellie.
Those were excellent presentations, and you're doing fabulous work in the community. I'm very aware of it and the difference that you make in seniors' lives.
I'm very interested in the demographic change that you talked about—not only in Winnipeg but across the country—and the particular challenges that you face. Two big ones are space and, of course, the cost of space and the cost of putting on your program.
I happen to know the St. Norbert Community Centre, where you have some of your programming. Unfortunately, you have to spread yourselves out instead of going to one location, but it's empty during the day; it's not being used. Not only is it a waste of space, it's a waste of investment in what could be health benefits for seniors and others.
Is there a model out there anywhere in Canada that you have researched? I know we have the Good Neighbours facility in East Kildonan, which is what we call an intergenerational facility, seniors by day and young people and families by night. That's one model. I understand they're struggling financially as well because of the whole issue of operating costs. Again, with this aging dynamic that we have in all of our communities across Canada, and community centres basically being vacant during the day, this is not an isolated phenomenon.
Is there some scope for some sort of national program to look at that and for the three levels of government to put their heads together to see how we could use the space and the resources more efficiently to get the kinds of health benefits you mentioned?
9:40 a.m.
President, Pembina Active Living (55+)
I'm sure there is. You mentioned the Good Neighbours arrangement with the Bronx community club. We have talked to the city about that kind of partnership. The city is kind of cool on that these days because they don't see it working particularly well.
In the case of Pembina Active Living, we have a proposal in front of the St. Norbert Community Centre right now to essentially do what you're suggesting. It's based on the idea that seniors don't want to go out after dark, so their activities are all during the day—that's their preference—and community clubs are normally empty with nothing going on during the day. We're trying to work something out now. It would be a landlord-tenant arrangement in the short run.
Whether there's a new model out there, I don't know. I have proposed to the city that we do some thinking about a new model, and they didn't get back to me, so I assume that was their answer.
9:40 a.m.
Liberal
Terry Duguid Liberal Winnipeg South, MB
So this might be bumped up to the political level for some discussions on how we might make it work.
9:40 a.m.
President, Pembina Active Living (55+)
Yes, I think so. I think it's right because we've got a large component of seniors in this country. In some areas, like Manitoba, they've got even more than their share. I think governments are going to have to deal with it because those folks vote.
9:45 a.m.
Liberal
Terry Duguid Liberal Winnipeg South, MB
As you're aware, we have plans for a larger recreation centre in the area and when that comes to be, existing community centres may be vacant morning, noon and night. We will have to repurpose them and perhaps we should be thinking about that now. Again, this is not an isolated phenomenon in Winnipeg; it is happening across the country with demographic change.
9:45 a.m.
President, Pembina Active Living (55+)
You've got two conflicting ideas going on. The city, for economic reasons, would like to put a big campus in a central place within the whole south of Winnipeg. Meanwhile, city planners and the people—
9:45 a.m.
President, Pembina Active Living (55+)
Yes, city planners would like to have community centres so everybody can walk to them.
9:45 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Pam Damoff
I'd like to thank all of our witnesses for being here with us this morning; it was very helpful to our study and we're going to suspend, very briefly, to set up for the second panel.
9:50 a.m.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Pam Damoff
I'm going to bring everyone back and we'll get started.
Before we get started, both witnesses have provided us with PowerPoint presentations that are in English only. Can we get a show of hands to get unanimous consent to do the PowerPoints in English only?
(Motion negatived)