Brockville, September 10, 2004 -- The Honourable Albina Guarnieri, Minister of Veterans Affairs and the Honourable John Gerretsen, Minister Responsible for Seniors, announced today that their governments will be collaborating in a significant research study on seniors' care. The project, which will be led by Veterans Affairs Canada, will compare the outcomes and costs of providing home care, supportive housing and residential care to seniors. The Government of Ontario will contribute by providing expertise and coordinating the involvement of its continuing care service providers. "For more than a decade, Veterans Affairs Canada has been a leader in the delivery of home care to better serve those who have served Canada. Today, knowledge gained from helping thousands of Veterans will help inform and shape future home care and continuing care policies for Canada=s Veterans and seniors," said Minister Guarnieri. "Seniors have contributed greatly to the quality of life that we have the privilege of enjoying today", said Minister Gerretsen. "It is important to promote the health and well-being of seniors, as seniors deserve to live in safety and security and as independently as possible with the supports they need." This week, both Ministers attended the national symposium organized by the Canadian Seniors Partnership (CSP) which brought representatives from all three levels of government, universities, national and provincial seniors and caregivers organizations together to find ways to improve delivery of programs and services to Canada's seniors. The Honourable Tony Ianno, the Federal Minister of State for Families and Caregivers, said the study would help design and evaluate programs for seniors and those who care for them. "Today, nearly one-third of seniors receive care for long-term health problems, with much of this care being provided informally by family and friends, in addition to formal caregiver supports," noted Minister Ianno. Under its Veterans Independence Program (VIP), Veterans Affairs Canada provides one of the most comprehensive and advanced home care programs in the world, enabling eligible Veterans to live independently and with dignity in their own homes. As part of the research project, three groups of Veterans in Ontario will be compared: VIP clients living at home, VIP clients in assisted living settings and clients in residential long-term care. Comparative costs, satisfaction with care, and quality of life will be analyzed as well as the contribution that home support services play in keeping Veterans and seniors in the community and the factors which lead to residential care. Funding for this project will be covered in VAC=s research budget. Under the VIP Program, first introduced in 1981, Veterans may be eligible, based on their particular circumstances and health needs to receive grounds maintenance, housekeeping, personal care, transportation, professional nursing care, home adaptation, and nutritional and ambulatory services. As of March 31, 2004, there were over 39,000 VIP clients in Ontario. This project builds on the progress already achieved by initiatives such as the Collaborative Seniors Portal Network (CSPN), a Portal Network, which provides seniors with easier access to information about government services and programs. The CSPN was first launched in Brockville in October 2003 and, since then, other cities including Sudbury and Hamilton have passed motions to approve their participation in the Network. The Canadian Seniors Partnership Symposium brings together federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and non-governmental officials committed to improving access to and integration of programs and services to better meet the needs of seniors, Veterans and their families in the 21st Century. - 30 - Janice Summerby Media Relations Advisor Veterans Affairs Canada (613) 992-7468 Mike Scandiffio Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs (613) 996-4649 Lily Pavlovic Communications Officer Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Ontario Seniors' Secretariat (416) 314-7607 All Other Enquiries:information@vac-acc.gc.ca
