Special Senate Commitee on Aging (Canada) Final Report

Canada’s Aging Population: Seizing the Opportunity, issued April 21, 2009, is the title of the Special Senate Committee on Aging committee chaired by Senator Sharon Carstairs and sets out a comprehensive vision for government, organizations and individuals to embrace the challenges of an aging population.

The committee recommends that the federal government:

• Move immediately to take steps to promote active aging and healthy aging and to combat ageism;
• Provide leadership and coordination through initiatives such as a National Integrated Care Initiative, a National Caregiver Strategy, a National Pharmacare Program, and a federal transfer to address the needs of provinces with the highest proportion of the aging population;
• Ensure the financial security of Canadians by addressing the needs of older workers, pension reform and income security reform;
• Facilitate the desire of Canadians to age in their place of choice with adequate housing, transportation, and integrated health and social care services; and
• Act immediately to implement changes for those populations groups for which it has a specific direct service responsibility, and in relation to Canada’s official language commitments.

Go to: http://www.parl.gc.ca/40/2/parlbus/commbus/senate/com-e/agei-e/subsite-e/Aging_Report_Home-e.htm for the Senate Committee's website for background, committee members, and the interim reports issues by the Committee.