New Brunswick health professionals, patients, and government lead national conversation on seniors care

FREDERICTON – With the two-day Roundtable on Seniors Care wrapped up, Dr. Camille Haddad, President of the New Brunswick Medical Society and Dr Chris Simpson, Past President of the Canadian Medical Association, thanked those who had attended and contributed solutions.

“The situation in New Brunswick provides a glimpse of the future for other Canadian provinces,” said Dr. Chris Simpson, Past President of the Canadian Medical Association. “This makes the province the ideal place to develop an improvement strategy and lead the rest of the country.”

“Together, we can all improve care options for today’s seniors and for generations to come,” said Dr. Haddad. “I think the discussions we’ve had today, and the Voices on Seniors Care book, will be great resources to inform future decisions.”

The Roundtable was organized by the New Brunswick Medical Society in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. Both organizations have spoken out in the past about the need for improvements to seniors care and both support the national initiative called Demand a Plan.

The past two days of the event have included a public session with expert panellists, a Patient and Providers Exhibition, and today’s closed-door discussion with health experts and patients. A document comprising proposed solutions from health providers and patient organizations, titled Voices on Seniors Care, was produced to supplement the event.

The event takes place less than a month before the federal election, at a time when many Canadians have highlighted seniors care as a key issue. A recent Canadian Medical Association survey found that 57 per cent of Canadians agree that how they vote in the next federal election will depend, at least in part, on who has the best plan to address seniors health. In addition, 89 per cent of Canadians think the next federal government must address the needs of Canada’s aging population.

CONTACT: Aleisha Bosch, New Brunswick Medical Society, (506)458-8860 ext. 633