MEDIA RELEASE
Toronto, January 23, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Seniors Determined to Age in Place
Seniors from across Ontario are headed to Toronto to make policy recommendations that will enable them to age in their own homes. They will participate in the "Health and Housing Crossroads Forum." This event takes place January 28th, at the Primrose Hotel, 111 Carlton St., at the south/west corner of Carlton and Jarvis St. The conference begins at 9:30 am . Media are invited to join us onward throughout the day.
The forum will bring 100 focus group participants from ten regions in Ontario, to one location, where 60 policy recommendations will be developed, aimed at creating programs and services to support seniors staying in their homes, and communities This focus group consultation included many multicultural groups; Aboriginal People, francophone, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, Caribbean and South Asian people. This is one of the most inclusive studies done to-date in Canada on ageing in place.
"Few seniors are eager to give up their own homes and their familiar communities. But, with the level of care in Ontario’s nursing homes still the lowest in Canada, they have an added reason to view long-term care facilities as a last resort They are striving instead to create better health care and housing options." says Ethel Meade, OCSCO representative and Health and Housing Crossroads Chair. “Seniors across Ontario are passionate about maintaining their dignity and autonomy by ageing in place.”
"The Forum focuses on what seniors need to stay at home. Too often seniors are driven into long-term care because of lack of homcare, or lack of affordable housing, or both. This forum will focus on the health and homecare issues that policy-makers must address to support seniors in their homes."
The Seniors’ Health and Housing Crossroads study was made possible through the Federal Voluntary Sector Initiative (VSI), announced in 2000, which provided funding to Federal Departments under its Sector Involvement in Departmental Policy Development (SIDPD) program. These projects were designed to strengthen the voluntary sector’s capacity and readiness to provide coherent input to the policy process, e.g. by building relationships to identify common perspectives and shape a consensus on priorities and concerns. OCSCO’s project was undertaken under a two-year contribution agreement and SIDPD funding from Health Canada, with the support of the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
Other key issues gleaned from the study include affordable housing, supportive housing and the need for licensing and inspecting retirement homes. Focus group participants, whether they owned their homes or rented them, voiced concerns that risinh shelter costs are reducing the amount of money they have for other necessities like food and medication. These issues and many other important concerns for seniors in Ontario will be discussed at the forum.
The Ontario Society (Coalition) of Senior Citizens' Organization (OCSCO) is a provincial not-for-profit organization with more than 140 members groups representing over 500,000 seniors in Ontario.
For more information contact: Victoria Boon - The Ontario Society (Coalition) of Senior Citizens' Organizations
(416) 785-8570 or via cell: (416) 919-6507
Interviewees Available at this Forum: Wednesday January 28th, 2004 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Frances Lankin
Ms. Lankin will be available for interviews on Wednesday January 28th, 2004 from 10:00 am to 10:15 am
Frances Lankin is the President and CEO of the United Way. Ms. Lankin's life and career have been dedicated to some of the most important issues of the day. An ardent and passionate advocate for social justice, she has been a strong and respected force on community and social issues related to children, youth, disabled, seniors, women, and health and long-term care. In February 2003, Ms. Lankin was awarded The Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in recognition of her significant contribution to Canada, her community, and fellow Canadians.
Bea Levis
Ms. Levis will be available for interviews upon your request throughout Wednesday
Bea is Vice Chair of Care Watch Toronto, and is a past chair and present Board Member of the Ontario Coalition of Senior Citizens’ Organizations. She is also the past Chair of the Toronto Mayor's Committee on Ageing, present Board Member of the Community Social Planning Council of Toronto, a Member of the Executive Committee of the Active Retired Members of the OSSTF District 12 and a Member of the Primary Health Reform Coalition, the Older Women's Network, and Toronto Seniors' Assembly Health Committees. She is the recipient of the Governor General's 125th Anniversary Medal and an Ontario Volunteer Service Award.
Ethel Meade
Ms. Meade will be available for interviews upon your request throughout Wednesday
Ethel Meade was an English professor at Ryerson University where she taught full time for fifteen years. She has been involved with many organizations and projects including the Older Women's Network, the Task Group for Transitional Care, the Getting Out of Hospital Committee, and Care Watch Toronto. Her involvement with the Health and Housing Crossroads project, the Seniors' Liaison Committee, the Community Advisory Panel of Toronto General Hospital and with the Provincial Seniors' Secretariat and its sub-committee on Long Term Care has proved that she is a tireless crusader in the improvement of services and care for seniors across the province.
Eva Kushner
Ms. Kushner will be available for French interviews upon your request throughout Wednesday
Eva Kushner is currently Co-Chair of the Ontario Coalition of Senior Citizens’ organizations and member of the Ontario Board of Canadian Pensioners concerned as well as a member of the Advisory Board of Science for Peace. She holds a Ph.D. in French from McGill University (1956), has been teaching at Canadian Universities since 1952, and is still involved in teaching and research in the Humanities on a post-retirement basis Officer of the Order of Canada.
To arrange an interview please contact Victoria Boon at
The Ontario Society (Coalition) of Senior Citizens' Organizations (OCSCO) at (416) 785-8570 extension 23 or Cell: (416) 919-6507
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