Sask. seniors looking for attention from provincial government

From rural transportation to housing and healthcare, Saskatchewan’s seniors are facing a lot of challenges, and a new report from the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism (SSM) is looking to bring them to the attention of the provincial government.

The SSM released its report, Strategizing for Positive Aging in Saskatchewan, on Wednesday. The report is the culmination of two years of conversations, consultations and surveys with seniors in the province.

“What we’re trying to do is start a conversation with the province, with the government, with the public about the needs and issues that relate to older adults in Saskatchewan,” said SSM president Randy Dove about the report.

Dove said seniors are a big advantage to the province — they’re a large population and they contribute a lot in both paid and unpaid labour — but the groups feel that it’s being taken for granted, and it’s important to provide resources and attention to issues that affect them.

One of the big issues that came out in the report is rural transportation. Dove said in many smaller towns it’s ad-hoc and piecemeal.

“We’ve had some stories where people have told us they’re actually leaving their smaller communities because they have no way to get to their appointments and to see their family and friends,” explained Dove.

Dove also talked about housing — that there are lots of support when people need care in their own homes and for those who enter long-term care, but that the financial support is really lacking for adults who go into assisted living spaces or personal care homes.

“We’re seeing examples where people are essentially using up all the assets they have built up over their lives, and then having to leave some of those care facilities or look to their family to help support them financially to stay there,” said Dove.

The report talks about the problems, but it doesn’t offer any solutions — Dove said that was a deliberate choice. He said the SSM wants to work with the government to find solutions to the problems, that just telling the government what to do isn’t the most effective way to create change.

Dove said the SSM wants the government to look at integration across government as well.

“We have wonderful programs in Saskatchewan for older adults scattered across health, scattered across social services, and scattered across housing. They are fine programs, what we don’t have is the glue to bring those together.”

The SSM and Dove also feel there’s an absence of planning for the future right now. He said there are 177,000 people 65 years of age or older in Saskatchewan now, and that’s expected to grow to 300,000 by 2035, so Dove said it’s a significant part of the province’s population which has specific needs and issues.

“Whether you are younger or middle-aged or older, the issues that are here today didn’t start yesterday and they won’t end tomorrow. So what we are looking for is that planning process,” explained Dove.

The report and executive summary mention a few times about the relatively new position of minister responsible for seniors, filled by Warren Kaeding, and Dove said it’s an encouraging sign from the provincial government but they also want to make sure that it’s a significant appointment which has real support behind it to tackle the issues.

Dove said the group has met with Kaeding and he has the report, but that the group will also continue bringing this up as the province moves toward an election, trying to create conversations and keep this initiative alive.