Prince Edward Island’s upcoming election is an opportunity to take action for the province’s older adults and their loved ones.
Prince Edward Island goes to the polls April 3 to elect their next provincial government.
The past three years have been difficult and too often tragic for older adults in Prince Edward Island and their families. P.E.I. needs a plan for its health-care system, including urgent investment and restructuring so that health care and social services are accessible, equitable and high quality.
Older adults deserve dignity and to be involved in policy decisions that affect their well-being and care — and it’s time to change our perspective on aging.
This provincial election is our chance to do that.
Key Priorities
For the 2023 P.E.I. election, Federal Retirees is calling for:
- Access to public health care, close to home
- Safe, quality home care and long-term care
- Affordable and safe housing
Access to public health care, close to home
The Canada Health Act guarantees that access to health-care services is a fundamental right for all Canadians. And access to a primary care provider is key to healthy aging. However, over 28,000 Islanders are currently without a family doctor, an issue that is even more pronounced in rural P.E.I.
Consistent primary care is essential to manage health, and without it, Islanders are increasingly winding up in emergencies rooms, with severe or more complex conditions that are harder to treat. Islanders’ well-being, quality of life and health outcomes are suffering, and informal caregivers are stretched to the limit. Islanders need access to primary care where they live.
As well, many older Islanders face lengthy wait times for consultations with specialists, and for diagnostic and surgical procedures. In some cases, older adults are required to go off-Island to receive the care they need.
Prince Edward Island’s next government must commit to investing in primary care and ensuring Islanders are able to access health care close to home.
Safe, quality home care and long-term care
Most older adults want to age in place, at home. Community and home care help people live at home, remain independent, and improve or maintain their health and quality of life through supports ranging from nursing to personal care to homemaking. Islanders need continued investment in publicly available and accessible home care and community care, with more nurses and health professionals dedicated to delivering high-quality, safe and effective care where people live.
In response to the devastating conditions and tragic outcomes across long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Federal Retirees joined the call for national long-term care standards. While the standards have been published, it’s now imperative that governments act quickly to ensure not only that long-term care facilities are regulated and inspected but also that long-term care standards meet or exceed the national standard and that those standards are enforced.
Prince Edward Island’s next government must commit to investing in home care and long-term care, and to ensuring long-term care standards are implemented and enforced.
Affordable and safe housing
Access to affordable and appropriate housing is a well-known social determinant of health. And most older adults want to age in place, in their own communities. However, with rising house prices, along with inflation pressures and limited housing supply, many older adults are having trouble staying in or finding suitable, affordable and safe housing.
While P.E.I. has a Seniors Housing Program, there are currently 128 eligible older adults on the wait list. In addition to the shortage of housing, there is a shortage of safe housing. Older adults living in social housing on the Island report buildings in various states of disrepair with unhealthy and unsafe living conditions.
Prince Edward Island’s next government must commit to increasing access to affordable and safe housing for older adults.
Help make sure every candidate in this P.E.I. election hears this message
You never know when you’ll get a chance to ask candidates or their campaigners about their positions on the issues most important to older Prince Edward Islanders. Keep this toolkit handy for quick facts and use these questions when connecting with candidates and campaigners.
Use this toolkit to meet with candidates — either in-person or virtually, attend a candidate town hall or pose questions during a community meeting.
Download your copy of the 2023 P.E.I. election toolkit.
Have questions about our 2023 P.E.I. election advocacy campaign or wondering how you can get involved? Write to advocacyteam@federalretirees.ca to connect with Federal Retirees’ advocacy team.
For more information about the P.E.I. election — including when and how to vote — visit Elections Prince Edward Island.