Meridian Source - December 17, 2020 by Meridian Source

Thursday, December 17, 2020

VOLUME 3 I ISSUE 25

MERIDIANSOURCE.CA

Falk says feds ‘dropped ball’ on vaccine GEOFF LEE

WRITER

.................................. Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Rosemarie Falk thinks the federal government isn’t doing enough to protect seniors in long-term care homes with its COVID vaccine plans. Falk spoke briefly about the vaccination rollout after meeting with members of the Lloydminster Concerned Citizens for Seniors Care Society and Mayor

Gerald Aalbers at City Hall on Monday. “I think the federal Trudeau Liberals have really dropped the ball on this,” said Falk, who is the seniors’ critic for the Conservative Party. “I think they should have been a lot more forthright and open and transparent when it came to, specifically vaccines within the COVID pandemic, but also being transparent to our premiers so they could plan

Battlefords-Lloydminster MP Rosemarie Falk File Photo

accordingly.” Falk says while it’s up to each province and territory to decide who gets the vaccine first, she believes the federal government could be doing more to alleviate the anxiety, stress and burdens that seniors could be feeling right now.

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I think isolation is one of our biggest barriers at the moment— just seniors who are living in these facilities may not be able to see people or as much as they used to.

The discussions with seniors at City Hall included Pharmacare, a national seniors strategy and retirement income security—under the umbrella of COVID. Graham Brown, president of the Seniors Care Society, says they talked mainly about national standards for seniors care in terms of physical facilities and nursing care, given the high rate of deaths at long-term care facilities from COVID.

“We know there is a real shortfall that was there before COVID, but it has really shown how big the problem is,” he said. “It’s a matter now, can we get some of the standards up, get some of the staffing up and how can the governments work together to provide that.” Falk thinks COVID has shown Canadians that it has exacerbated the cracks in the system. She says seniors might be falling through the cracks with Pharmacare for example, to access medication rather even dealing with isolation. Falk says seniors are socially isolated during COVID and not being able to see others, which is so imperative for their mental and emotional health, and even physical health. “I think isolation is one of our biggest barriers at the moment— just seniors who are living in these facilities may not be able to see people or as much as they used to,” said Falk. “Especially around the holidays; it’s very difficult.” Falks says it’s easy to argue the items on the agenda are local issues. “Seniors are feeling just the cost of inflation with the

taxes going up,” she said. Falk says the federal government’s plans to increase the carbon tax from $50 a tonne in 2022 to $170 a tonne in 2030, could make it tougher for seniors to make ends meet. “It’s making the cost of living go up, which affects everything, whether it’s food, income security and even when it comes to medical security,” said Falk. Falk says she was able to come to Lloydminster to hear about senior issues with Parliament recessed on a winter break, while making sure Canadians are still getting the information they need. “The work doesn’t stop just because the House isn’t sitting,” said Falk. Brown says it was good to hear from Falk about some of the challenges from the federal perspective in trying to affect change for seniors’ care. “It is a complicated issue, but we keep working at it. Hopefully, we will see some improvements,” said Brown. His next step is to share the information Falk provided with Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young and Vermilion-LloydminsterWainwright MLA Garth Rowswell.