Further recognizing the older segment of the population, the budget announces over $40 million over five years with a view to improving seniors’ health with the creation of the Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, in partnership with Toronto’s Baycrest Health Sciences. This support underlines the increasing concern and attention to dementia and other brain ailments that disproportionately affect the aging population.
These provisions are a significant step forward for the prioritization of healthcare of older Canadians, and highlight the importance of palliative care. As Canada’s population ages, the need for good palliative care will multiply. The importance of the role of family carers must be emphasized and supported, as they are vital to the care of dying patients and those with significant illness. Often having a family carer enables a dying patient to be able to remain in their homes with loved ones, which can substantially improve their quality of life. Carers may, however, also be vulnerable themselves to the effects of stress, fatigue and burnout, as this role often entails a degree of personal, social and financial compromise. The Compassionate Care Benefit extension will help to make the care of a loved one more manageable by alleviating some of the economic burden of caring responsibilities.
Part of Pallium Canada’s mandate is to collaborate and partner with various sectors of the community, including healthcare, Aboriginal communities, education, social, financial, industry, agriculture, and local government (municipalities), amongst others, to implement and support Compassionate Programs in communities, schools, and corporations. These programs will aim to educate and support people for the impact of progressive illness on the family, workforce and colleagues, as many of those who may find themselves in the caregiver role may be in their most productive working years.
Canada must also work towards the creation and maintenance of national standards of senior care and palliative care, including ongoing reassessment of resource allocation and ensuring appropriate and timely access to care. Family caregiving is becoming an increasingly common practice with the ‘greying’ of the population, and as stated by the Canadian Caregiver Coalition, “it’s not if, it’s when you will become a caregiver.” The 2015 budgetary changes have great potential to help many Canadians better balance their priorities of family and work, and afford them as much dignity in dying as in living.
Leave a Reply