New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant announced on Tuesday that he’d move forward with recommendations made by the province’s council on aging with the goal of better serving the province’s aging population.
The recommendations, along with the 77 actions items, come from a report titled We are all in this together, that was released in January.
READ MORE: Provincial dementia strategy needed: N.B. Council on Aging
“An aging population is our province’s largest challenge,” Gallant told the Ormocto and Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning.
“To fight this trend, we will enhance support for seniors so they can live in their homes longer, improve access to health care, and push to grow the New Brunswick labour force.”
In its report, the committee, which was first created in 2015, recommends that New Brunswick focus on a developing a health-care system targeted towards “independent living and person-centred care for seniors.”
Other recommendations include a goal of developing a strategy focused on dementia, improving training and incentives for home caregivers and improving the process for inspecting the province’s long-term care facilities.
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“We have reached the point where a cultural shift is required to transform the way we think about aging in New Brunswick,” said Ken McGeorge, the co-chair for the council on aging, when the report was released.
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The report focused on seven priority areas that determine overall health; fostering healthy aging and support for seniors; improving access to primary and acute care; promoting wellness; supporting people with mental health challenges; advancing women’s equality; reducing poverty; and supporting people with disabilities.
A full list of recommendations is available in the report.
According to data from the 2016 census, 22.3 per cent of New Brunswick’s 747,105 population are over the age of 65.
According to the report, it’s expected that figure will grow to 31.3 per cent of the population by 2038.
Canada as a whole is expected to have a much different population division. It’s expected that seniors will represent only 24 per cent of the Canadian population by 2038.
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