A must for Anglo elderly

Seniors Action Quebec applauds new funding

As the province announced over $1.1 million for West Quebec organizations assisting seniors, Ruth Pelletier, President of Seniors Action Quebec (SAQ), applauded. “We have a lot of challenges, especially for English-speaking seniors,” she told the Bulletin.

SAQ’s mission is to “maintain and enhance the vitality of English-speaking Quebec seniors. (And) to promote their healthy and active lifestyles . . .”

Pelletier says the challenge is to keep seniors in their homes as long as possible. The funding partly addresses this with a Meals-on-Wheels type of service called Frigo Quiroule in Papineau. The service is managed by the Papineau’s Alliance alimentaire.
 
“Many adult children have left the province, either for employment or for political reasons. So English-speaking seniors are relying on friends, who are sometimes old and sick themselves, or neighbours, who could be busy,” explained Pelletier. “Sometimes, one couple has an ill partner and the other is older; they can’t cope. Or they are widowed and on their own. We need the support to keep them in their homes; it’s cheaper on the system and better for them.”

Match-making for seniors!

Another West Quebec organization that helps seniors stay home longer and that received funding is Les habitations partagées de l'Outaouais.

This association’s mission is to improve seniors’ quality of housing and to foster personal autonomy. The non-profit association primarily provides a matchmaking service for cohabitation and relocation and adaptation support services.

The matchmaking service is open to those who live alone but wish to live with someone else. The service offers a consultation to assess one’s needs, a criminal record check, reference check, a visit to the dwelling, presence during the first meeting, the creation of an agreement between both parties, plus follow-up.

Matchmaking could be of great help to English-speaking seniors because, Pelletier explained, one of the first losses with a serious medical condition is a person’s second language. An Anglophone senior living in a French milieu could become easily isolated.

Transportation for seniors -- a bigger concern in rural than in urban areas – was left unaddressed.

“For example, in the Municipality of Low, receptionist services and operations hours at the CLSC were cut, so people must line up at 6 am for blood work. They wait in this line and are told at some point, ‘we can’t take any more’ -- and away you go and that’s not a joke! These people may rely on a senior in her 80’s to do the driving. When the driver asks, ‘If I get sick, what will happen to them?’ what do we answer?” remarked Pelletier.

The seniors could be forced to pay cash for their rides, money they might not have.

These people have problems most adults do not even recognize; for example, “seniors who are receiving their old age security pension need to request the form for the guaranteed income supplement. If it’s not requested, they (the government) will never look at your income tax return. You must make the request. Even if you don’t need it now, do it! Situations change; finances change. Once they get that request, the government will look at their file and, if they are below a certain level, the senior is entitled to a monthly non-taxable supplement. It can go from $10 to $900 a month. This can mean a difference with their medicines, food, whatever,” said Pelletier.

If their request is denied, the government will send the senior a yearly reminder asking if their situation has changed.

“These people have worked all their lives; they did not have maternity benefits, residences for their parents or for their in-laws and they stayed home and took care of them; they raised their children and now they deserve a few years of peace, dignity, and proper care.”  This funding will help, a little.