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“I felt like I was given back my freedom and safety to do whatever I needed to do.”
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Ottawa is putting $1.68 million towards three Alberta organizations working to support seniors living in their own homes for as long as possible.
At an announcement at the Westend Seniors Activity Centre in Edmonton Monday, federal Seniors Minister Kamal Khera said Edmonton-based non-profit association Drive Happiness will get $560,000 to help older adults maintain their independence by offering rides to things like to medical appointments.
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“I’ve travelled from coast to coast to coast meeting seniors from across Canada, and one of the things that I always hear, regardless of where I am in the country, is the fact that they want to age in their own homes for as long as possible,” said Khera.
The federal government estimates that the fast-growing senior population, people who are 65 or older, will represent almost a quarter of Canadians by 2057, with as many as 11 million people in the country in that demographic within 15 years.
The Parkinson’s Association of Alberta will receive $320,000, while the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association will see $800,000 as part of the $90-million Age Well at Home program first announced in 2021.
Cecille Greysen said at the announcement she started using the service in 2018 when she struggled to navigate with worsening vision while caring for her husband and mother in long-term care facilities.
“Having access to Drive Happiness prevented me from becoming isolated and depressed. I felt like I was given back my freedom and safety to do whatever I needed to do to take care of myself both physically and mentally,” said Greysen.
She said it enabled her to visit her mother and husband, while continuing to volunteer, to get to medical appointments, go grocery shopping and visit places like the library.
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“This service helped me in the hardest times of my life, and I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have the availability to have Drive Happiness in my life,” she said, adding all seniors would benefit from a similar service.
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Kevin Lai, board chair of Drive Happiness, said the organization has been growing for 25 years, and the funding will help it continue to expand its work to more rural areas.
“For too long assisted transportation has been ignored, and it doesn’t really have a home in any level of government. Fortunately, that started changing a few years ago,” he said, adding transportation barriers can lead to isolation and health concerns.
Lai said the organization currently serves about 2,000 seniors, and the funding will help it expand into Saskatchewan.
‘They have their memories attached to that place’: Sohi
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he appreciated his parents being able to stay in the family home until they died.
“It’s so important. We have seen the quality of life that they had living with us,” he said, adding it is a responsibility of all governments to ensure seniors can age in their own home.
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“They have their memories attached to that place and we want to make sure that they will live there as long as possible,” he said.
Sohi said the city lacks seniors-oriented housing in some neighbourhoods, something he hopes an upcoming zoning regulation revamp will help start to address.
Tourism Minister and MP for Edmonton Centre Randy Boissonnault said the federal government has a role to play to make sure that “the people who built this country can have a life of dignity and retire where they want to and in the places where they know and they understand.”
According to its most recent annual report, Alberta Health spent $740 million in 2022-23 on home care, including home nursing and support, $1.3 billion on continuing care, and $1.8 billion on community care, which includes supportive living, palliative and hospice care.
lijohnson@postmedia.com
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