Evidence of meeting #11 for Veterans Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was recommendations.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
It's legislative authority. These things cost money. For example, to provide an integrated service delivery system, if you followed our recommendations, will involve shuffling quite a bit of money and would require legislative authority to do that. So we've been giving them advice, and they've basically said, “We don't have the legislative authority. We like what you recommend, so work with us to try to tell us how close we can get.” You know, push the envelope, if you will, within existing legislative authorities.
On your point about the age issue, you're absolutely right. In fact, I checked with David Pedlar, because this is a moving target. Of course, Canadian Forces veterans are also getting older. Their average age, according to what David Pedlar told me two days ago, is 56--that's of the clients. At 56, they're not youngsters. You're an older worker in this country, Stats Canada will tell you, if you're 45 years of age.
Liberal
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
Well, I'm 66 now and I feel it all day long.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
One thing you said to me twigged something. You talked about how our gerontological care does need to reflect the life and work experience--I don't want to put words in your mouth--of those we are caring for, that we need to be specific about the kind of care we provide in old age, depending on what people went through in younger years.
I'm opening up the thing. Are there long-term care needs that you think those who have served in the Canadian Forces will have that are maybe not unique but specific to their class of work, their commitment, their service, that need to be then planned for as we help them approach their late age?
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
The literature on PTSD--most of the literature is American, although there's some great Canadian stuff coming out now--has noted there's quite a difference, say, between the effects of operational stress injuries, as we like to call them, depending on which war people served in. In World War II...most of the literature on PTSD specifically is from the Vietnam experience. Some of the severity there is attributed to the nature of the fighting. You didn't know where the enemy was. If any of you have read Paul Fussell's book about World War I, the lines were clear. Good guys were here and the bad guys were on the other side of the line. In Vietnam, they were everywhere.
So different wars have different battle conditions. They also have different reception conditions. When someone, say, becomes disabled and has to leave the service and return to civilian life, the climate is very different. The Americans, after Vietnam, entered a hostile climate, or at least they perceived it that way.
Liberal
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
I think it's different. I think the receiving climate in Canada and the U.S. is very positive for veterans.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
This points out to me that there's still a federal role for long-term care. It seems to me that Veterans Affairs seems to think it's going to save a lot of money on long-term care when World War II and Korean War veterans are finished with that need, but in fact we may need facilities, we may need programs and plans, specifically for our veterans in their late years, and long-term care.
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
I think that is true, and partly because there are probably a lot more head injuries and things like that.
Liberal
Rob Oliphant Liberal Don Valley West, ON
My concern, very specifically, is that we have transferred federal facilities to the provinces. The government is planning on transferring our last one, which I would like to see as a model of excellence for the rest of the country for our contract facilities. It would seem to me that these new veterans need that care, are going to need something that's not the same as what I'm going to need. Mine is a stressful job, but it's not like the military.
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
I should say this. I sort of feel ambiguous, because I have tried to represent the Gerontological Advisory Council, but my opinion on Ste. Anne's...you're talking about Ste. Anne's, I think? The council has not expressed a view on that. My personal opinion is that I would be sorry to see it go. Of course, I grew up in Calgary. The Colonel Belcher Hospital, which Don Ethell loved so much, was part of my childhood.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
Thank you, Mr. Marshall. We always give flexibility to the witnesses, but I have to time the members. You can always continue with your answer.
By the way, 66 years old; the years have been good to you.
We're now on to Monsieur André pour sept minutes.
Bloc
Guy André Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
Good morning, Mr. Marshall. I am happy to...
Since I'm speaking French, I'll give you time to adjust your earphone.
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
Sorry, I'm on the wrong channel now. I'm picking up in French.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative David Sweet
You should be hearing someone say that this is the English channel right now.
Begin, sir.
Bloc
Guy André Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
I wanted to point it out, because sometimes I have some speaking time taken away.
So I did a little research on the Gerontological Advisory Council. In 2006, you submitted a report recommending that a more integrated approach to gerontology services for aging veterans be developed. That discussion paper was submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since 2006 when the paper was submitted, which contained several recommendations for improving services, have there been improvements, do you have the ear of the Department of Veterans Affairs in this regard?
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
Yes, we have the ear of the department. Again, I don't think that's the issue. From all the feedback I get from our interactions, right up to, say, Brian Ferguson, which is as high as I go—occasionally we get a visitor who is higher than Brian—and Darragh Mogan and that crowd, they all seem very sympathetic, and I mean 100% sympathetic, to what we are doing. Again, there's only so far you can go without budgetary adjustments, which require legislative authorities. That is my understanding of it.
Bloc
Guy André Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
So you're saying that the recommendations have been more or less taken into account.
Chair, Gerontological Advisory Council
By the department itself, yes, they are very much so.
Bloc
Guy André Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
After the numerous consultations this committee has held, I have the impression there is a problem with access to services for veterans who live in remote rural regions. That is the big difficulty, as I see it.
When you talk about an integrated approach, you are certainly talking about an interdisciplinary approach for all services. I have the impression that it is always easier in the big cities than in rural communities, where some veterans do in fact live. The entire problem of home support is more difficult there.
Would you have recommendations to make to the committee to ensure greater access to gerontology services or home support for veterans in rural communities in remote areas?