PRIORITY HEALTH

For the past half-century, the Réseau FADOQ has been helping to break the isolation of people aged 50+ by offering a number of leisure, athletic, and cultural activities. That’s not the network’s only mission, though. It also works hard to improve the quality of life for all seniors, and that includes advocating for improvements to the healthcare system.

One of those improvements is better caregiver-topatient ratios. The Réseau FADOQ has been advocating for this crucial issue for a long time, and it has become more urgent after the tragedy that struck long-term care facilities this spring. On a similar note, the network is also urging the government to immediately address the lack of healthcare personnel like nurses and specialized nurse practitioners (SNPs). That means reorganizing roles, putting an end to mandatory overtime, promoting the value of the positions in question, and increasing enrollment in university programs.

An Ounce of Prevention…

More humane care, shorter waiting lists, decent working conditions for healthcare workers… it all comes at a price. That’s why the Réseau FADOQ is asking the federal government to increase the Canada Health Transfer. On behalf of seniors and patients everywhere, the network is also asking that the government decompartmentalize healthcare professions to allow for better care and services. It has already submitted three briefs recommending that three professions (dental hygienists, pharmacists, and SNPs) be allowed to provide more types of care.

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE RÉSEAU FADOQ fadoq.ca 1 800 828-3344

Celebrating Our Achievements

More and more people are turning to the Réseau FADOQ for advice on issues that affect seniors, since it has a number of successes under its belt. For instance, it led and won the fight to abolish accessory fees for services that are already insured by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec. One more example (of many): the network has long been working with other organizations to pressure the government to invest heavily in long-term care facilities. Thanks to its advocacy, unprecedented funding has been allocated to renovate dilapidated facilities and help seniors’ homes develop in Quebec. So much remains to be done, but current and future seniors can count on the fact that the Réseau FADOQ will be defending their interests for the next 50 years at least! Naturally, the more members the network has, the more influence it has over the decisions of political authorities. What better reason to join the 550,000 other members of the largest seniors’ organization in the country?

Sophie Gagnon

Réseau FADOQ