The Canadian government has obtained a bilateral agreement with the Alberta government to spend $627 million over the next five years to what it says will help Albertans age with dignity. This funding builds on the $1 billion bilateral agreement the Canadian government announced in December as part of a primary care plan. “Every Canadian deserves access to safe and high-quality healthcare at every stage of their lives,” said Health Minister Mark Holland in a Thursday press release. “By working together with Alberta, this agreement will build a stronger healthcare system, support health workers, and help seniors across the province access the care they need.” The Canadian government said the plan will improve home care services for all Albertans, particularly those in rural, remote, and indigenous communities, to reduce pressures on hospitals and emergency rooms. It added it will increase palliative and end-of-life care and services, including co-ordination of care, psychosocial supports, complex symptom assessment and management, and end-of-life planning. To improve support for caregivers, it will increase access to respite services, expand community day programs, and build on supports in rural Alberta. It will offer resources and programs to caregivers who care for those with dementia and complex needs. The Canadian government went on to say it will increase training and mental health supports for continuing care staff, including psychosocial supports, peer support programming, and trauma-informed care training. It said it will increase recruitment and retention in problematic continuing care sites, programs, and positions in rural and remote areas. Under the plan, it will support quality of life and care best practices to better address the needs of people served by continuing care. It will retrofit equipment and technology in continuing care homes to support client needs. The Canadian government continued by saying progress on these initiatives and commitments will be measured against targets that Alberta will report on annually. Through this agreement, it said Alberta will improve how health information is collected, shared, used, and reported to Canadians; streamline foreign credential recognition for internationally-educated healthcare workers; facilitate their mobility within Canada; and meet shared responsibilities under the Canada Health Act to protect access to healthcare. The Canadian and Alberta governments have committed to engage and work with indigenous partners to improve access to healthcare. This plan is informed by continued engagement with indigenous people. Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the government “is taking action to meet the growing needs of our aging population and help ensure the future of our province’s continuing care system.” “We have committed $1 billion over three years to transform continuing care in Alberta,” said LaGrange. “This Aging with Dignity funding will help enhance Alberta’s efforts to transform the continuing care system to support Albertans as they age.” Canada and its provinces can do more to improve access to seniors’ care and equity in the healthcare system, according to a September study conducted by the CD Howe Institute. READ MORE: Study finds Canada, provinces fall short on seniors' care“We can see through an international comparison that top-performing countries such as Germany and the Netherlands rely on things like universal coverage, which includes primary care and treatments for chronic conditions and are achieving better and more equitable health outcomes,” said study co-authors Rosalie Wyonch and Tingting Zhang. “Germany and the Netherlands also invest in home care, which encourages seniors to live independently for as long as possible.”
