October 28, 2020
OTTAWA (October 28, 2020) – The Honourable Judith Seidman, Opposition Whip in the Senate of Canada, called the attention of the Senate to the existing weaknesses within Canada’s long-term care system, which have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I launched this inquiry to emphasize, with great urgency, the need to implement real solutions to the issues that have plagued our most vulnerable population. Long-term care is a fractured sector and there is no question that these issues, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, call for extraordinary and immediate measures,” said Senator Seidman.
“In the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadians learned that over 80% of all COVID-related deaths in Canada were residents in long-term care settings. This fall, amid the second wave of the pandemic, we see that long-term care settings are severely impacted once again. This situation has raised alarms and spurred an important conversation about the unacceptable conditions found in long-term care homes across Canada.”
Senator Seidman, an epidemiologist and health researcher, highlights the fact that health experts have warned Canadians about the dire state of Canada’s long-term care system for decades. This inquiry is a call to action – the urgency is now; there is no need for more expert-led panels, studies, and task forces. She is encouraging her Honourable colleagues to join forces in calling for the implementation of policies at the federal and provincial level to form the basis of better care for Canada’s aging population.
Additional information:
- Senator Seidman’s full statement from the Chamber is available here
- Text to the full statement is available here
For more information:
Sylvie Clément
sylvie1.clement@sen.parl.gc.ca