Advocates representing 700,000 Quebec seniors are calling on political parties in the upcoming provincial election to introduce a plan to better their quality of life.
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Five organizations have released a list of 16 recommendations they hope political parties will adopt as part of their election platforms in the Oct. 1 election.
FADOQ, one of the largest seniors organization in Canada, says more and more seniors are living below the poverty line, defined as annual earnings less than $24,460.
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“If you look at seniors today (65 years and older), almost one in two is below $20,000,” said Danis Prud’homme, FADOQ’s director general. “So that’s why we need to put a plan in place for how we’re going to take care of our seniors.”
Prud’homme said a new government could actually save money by investing in home care.
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“If you stay at home, it’s less expensive to take care of you,” he explained.
He added, “About 70 to 80 percent of our health budget goes to hospitals and about 20 to 30 percent are going to sustainable services to people who stay at home.”
Prud’homme would like to see that number reversed.
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The group of advocates is also calling for the cost of dental prosthesis, glasses and eye exams for driving to be free for low-income seniors, and for a second hearing aid to be covered for all seniors, a plan it says would cost around $80 million.
For the rest of their recommendations, which includes an increase in tax credits for seniors, especially for housing, the group did not have an estimate for what that would cost the government.
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