For caregivers, many of whom we know are senior women, make retirement resources go further by making current non-refundable tax credits refundable, to ensure that our most financially vulnerable seniors, those without taxable income, can benefit.
Remove the requirement for employment insurance benefits that the care recipient be at significant risk of death, as physicians and family members in many cultures may be reluctant to label an individual as being close to death, which can preclude them from receiving the benefit.
Provide a caregiver allowance, a benefit paid to caregivers providing significant hours of care. Such programs are already offered by the Nova Scotia government and the governments of the U.K. and Australia.
Address the financial insecurity of low-income grandmothers caring for grandchildren, which is a particular issue in indigenous communities.
For exceptional health care, government needs to make retirement resources go further by investing in a national pharmacare program, as right now 8% of older Canadians are forgoing needed medications due to the cost.