A group of seniors rallied in downtown Edmonton Thursday morning, using the Alberta legislature as a backdrop to demand improvements to seniors’ care.

Members of Friends of Medicare, Public Interest Alberta, Seniors’ Action and Liaison Team and Alberta Federation of Union Retirees gathered to mark International Day of Older Persons.

This October 1st marks the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. This year, as we contend with the ongoing upheaval caused by the COVID-19 global health crisis, we must also bear witness to the suffering caused by the long-standing failures of our seniors’ care system. 

Seniors have suffered the greatest impact of the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide, and Alberta is no exception. To date 97% of COVID-related deaths have been Albertans aged 60 or older, including 165 residents in continuing care. In July, the Royal Society of Canada found that 81% of COVID-19 deaths nationwide were residents of long-term care homes—a rate far outpacing other countries. Further, the worst impacts have occurred in for-profit facilities, which have been found to have had “more extensive outbreaks and more deaths” than public facilities. COVID-19 has exposed the many shortcomings of our seniors’ care system, borne of decades of privatization and the inequity that perpetual cost-cutting has wrought. What we are seeing now was decades in the making.

A bus carrying dozens of Albertans concerned about the government’s actions regarding health care and senior’s care made a stop near Red Deer on Wednesday.

The People’s Bus, chartered by Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta, was travelling from Edmonton to Calgary and made a stop at a business along Gasoline Alley with the end goal of canvassing the constituency of the Minister of Health, Tyler Shandro.

The groups say they are concerned about deep cuts and privatization the provincial government is imposing on Alberta’s health care and seniors’ care systems.

About 10 central Albertans joined protesters on their way to Health Minister Tyler Shandro’s Calgary constituency on Wednesday.

Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta chartered a bus for Albertans concerned about the UCP government’s cuts and privatization to the provincial health-care system and seniors care.

Close to 30 Albertans trying to bring attention to proposed health care cuts arrived at the constituency office of Health Minister Tyler Shandro on Wednesday.

Members of the group, from all over the province, travelled in a bus they dubbed “the people’s bus.”

EDMONTON -- A group of Edmontonians boarded the "People's Bus" Wednesday to spread awareness about cuts to health care.

The chartered bus was organized by Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta and planned a stop in Red Deer to gather more supporters, before heading to its final destination in Calgary. 

EDMONTON - Today, dozens of concerned Albertans are gathering on The People’s Bus, chartered by Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta. The bus will be travelling from Edmonton to Calgary, making a stop in Red Deer, to canvass the constituency of the Minister of Health, Tyler Shandro. The groups are concerned about deep cuts and privatization the provincial government is imposing on Alberta’s health care and seniors’ care systems. 

Today, Premier Rachel Notley announced that if re-elected, the Alberta New Democratic Party is committed to building an additional 2,000 long term care (LTC) beds. The promised $170 million investment is welcome news to a system that is currently facing serious shortages.

March 5, 2019

New campaign says “Alberta Seniors Deserve Better” in 2019 provincial election

EDMONTON - Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta premiered a series of four videos to kick off their new campaign Alberta Seniors Deserve Better, which highlights the issues facing seniors in the continuing care system, and encourages Albertans to sign a petition to call on all of Alberta’s political parties to make strengthening seniors’ care a top priority in the 2019 provincial election.

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