Seniors' Groups want Independent Seniors' Advocate
Oh Dear! We are receiving more questions than we anticipated. We will have to combine a number of them on the same topic into one larger question. We didn't want have our political parties answering more than three or four questions a week.
Our first question is from a number of Seniors' groups. Here's what they sent us.
Dear Martha and Henry,
Following is a question of all the Provincial political leaders asked as a part of the beloved and cherished democratic process we have struggled over the years to establish in our country and province; - i.e., the electoral process. My hope is that all the Provincial political leaders will respond because they value and honour that process.
A "Circle of Chairs" of Alberta seniors' advocacy groups has developed a paper asking that the Province establish an Independent Seniors Advocate (ISA) to be of assistance to seniors in Alberta who are in distress, whatever the nature of that distress. The essence of the paper is as follows:
This paper states that there are at least nineteen Provincial Departments involved in seniors’ matters. A senior in distress who phones for help is often necessarily referred to other Departments. Seniors seeking such help, while in distress, are also often short on energy, hearing impaired and sometimes have trouble being understood on the phone because English is not their first language. Not infrequently they are frustrated to the point of tears with the process.
This paper proposes the establishment of an Independent Seniors’ Advocate (ISA) and an Office of the Independent Seniors’ Advocate (OSA). The ISA would be an officer of the Legislative Assembly such as, for example, the Auditor General or Ombudsman. She or he would have a very small permanent staff. In addition to the ISA, there would one professional responsible for collecting and continually updating the considerable and impressive resources that are already available Provincially, Federally, and locally to assist seniors in distress. A second professional would be responsible for recruiting, training, and deploying a corps of seniors, called Seniors’ Advocate Elders (SAEs). The SAEs would be paid honouria and expenses to be the field officers of the ISA. They would visit seniors in distress, listen to their stories and shepherd them in seeking existing resources to relieve their distress. The corps of Elders would be more economical than permanent staff, can easily be expanded or contracted, and would be dispersed throughout the Province.
In addition to this individual advocacy work, the ISA would have two other critical roles. A second function would be to refer cases of administrative unfairness to the Ombudsman, or, where evidence of irregularities warrant, to the Police, Human Rights, or Privacy Commissioner. The third role would be to identify evidence grounded deficiencies or gaps in services to assist seniors in distress and advocate for eliminating those deficiencies whatever the level of government. The anticipated budget is $1,290,000 per year.
Paper’s Intention: That the newly elected Government of Alberta establish an Independent Seniors’ Advocate and an Office of the Seniors’ Advocate with the characteristics and capabilities outlined in this paper. The Circle of Chairpersons wishes to be consulted in the development of this initiative.
Signed:
Jerry Pitts, President, Coalition of Seniors’ Advocates (COSA)
Irl Miller, Chair, Seniors’ One Voice
Wanda Cree, Chair, Seniors’ Health Council
Helen Lusk , Chair of Westend Seniors
Peter Stewart, Chair, Edmonton Branch, Canadian Association for Retired Persons (CARP)
Bev McKay, Founding Chair, Families Allied to Influence Responsible Eldercare (FAIRE)
Brian Staples, Chair, Seniors’ Action and Liaison Team (SALT)
The paper, with a cover letter, was sent to the Party leaders on 20 October, 2004. The question asked then and reiterated now is:
Will you, as an individual and the leader of your party, endorse our proposal in principle, and work with the Circle of Chairs to secure the establishment of an Independent Seniors' Advocate?
Sincerely,
Brian Staples
We sincerely hope our political parties will find the time in their busy campaign schedule to answer our questions. We look forward to their responses. Remember dear reader to sent us your thoughts by posting a comment below or by sending us e-mail.
Our first question is from a number of Seniors' groups. Here's what they sent us.
Dear Martha and Henry,
Following is a question of all the Provincial political leaders asked as a part of the beloved and cherished democratic process we have struggled over the years to establish in our country and province; - i.e., the electoral process. My hope is that all the Provincial political leaders will respond because they value and honour that process.
A "Circle of Chairs" of Alberta seniors' advocacy groups has developed a paper asking that the Province establish an Independent Seniors Advocate (ISA) to be of assistance to seniors in Alberta who are in distress, whatever the nature of that distress. The essence of the paper is as follows:
This paper states that there are at least nineteen Provincial Departments involved in seniors’ matters. A senior in distress who phones for help is often necessarily referred to other Departments. Seniors seeking such help, while in distress, are also often short on energy, hearing impaired and sometimes have trouble being understood on the phone because English is not their first language. Not infrequently they are frustrated to the point of tears with the process.
This paper proposes the establishment of an Independent Seniors’ Advocate (ISA) and an Office of the Independent Seniors’ Advocate (OSA). The ISA would be an officer of the Legislative Assembly such as, for example, the Auditor General or Ombudsman. She or he would have a very small permanent staff. In addition to the ISA, there would one professional responsible for collecting and continually updating the considerable and impressive resources that are already available Provincially, Federally, and locally to assist seniors in distress. A second professional would be responsible for recruiting, training, and deploying a corps of seniors, called Seniors’ Advocate Elders (SAEs). The SAEs would be paid honouria and expenses to be the field officers of the ISA. They would visit seniors in distress, listen to their stories and shepherd them in seeking existing resources to relieve their distress. The corps of Elders would be more economical than permanent staff, can easily be expanded or contracted, and would be dispersed throughout the Province.
In addition to this individual advocacy work, the ISA would have two other critical roles. A second function would be to refer cases of administrative unfairness to the Ombudsman, or, where evidence of irregularities warrant, to the Police, Human Rights, or Privacy Commissioner. The third role would be to identify evidence grounded deficiencies or gaps in services to assist seniors in distress and advocate for eliminating those deficiencies whatever the level of government. The anticipated budget is $1,290,000 per year.
Paper’s Intention: That the newly elected Government of Alberta establish an Independent Seniors’ Advocate and an Office of the Seniors’ Advocate with the characteristics and capabilities outlined in this paper. The Circle of Chairpersons wishes to be consulted in the development of this initiative.
Signed:
Jerry Pitts, President, Coalition of Seniors’ Advocates (COSA)
Irl Miller, Chair, Seniors’ One Voice
Wanda Cree, Chair, Seniors’ Health Council
Helen Lusk , Chair of Westend Seniors
Peter Stewart, Chair, Edmonton Branch, Canadian Association for Retired Persons (CARP)
Bev McKay, Founding Chair, Families Allied to Influence Responsible Eldercare (FAIRE)
Brian Staples, Chair, Seniors’ Action and Liaison Team (SALT)
The paper, with a cover letter, was sent to the Party leaders on 20 October, 2004. The question asked then and reiterated now is:
Will you, as an individual and the leader of your party, endorse our proposal in principle, and work with the Circle of Chairs to secure the establishment of an Independent Seniors' Advocate?
Sincerely,
Brian Staples
We sincerely hope our political parties will find the time in their busy campaign schedule to answer our questions. We look forward to their responses. Remember dear reader to sent us your thoughts by posting a comment below or by sending us e-mail.
posted by Martha & Henry at 10:01 PM
5 Comments:
This Brian Staples fellow should get some kind of an award for concieving of this proposal together with that collection of senior advocates. An seniors' ombudsman would rank right up there with an auditor-general and whistle-blower protection. It could expose abuse and deal with seniors who are just falling through the cracks, or mal-treated by the system. Don't expect action on this by a Conservative government, however. You just cannot keep a people subgated and compliant if you give them any rights.
How bloody naive! Why would King Klein aggree to having someone get public money to criticize his system.
The Conservatives cannot stand having anyone expose their failures -- let alone having a person paid by the government do it.
In regard to the Independent Seniors' Advocate idea, and asking the political party leaders to endorse it during the election campaign, it will be interesting to see which leaders respond. Many seniors had spouses who served, even died, in WWII to preserve and enhance our democratic institutions, like elections. Will Mr. Klein, for example, deem those institutions, and those lives, valuble enough to reply. I suspect not!
The list of positive things that could happen should there be an independant Senior's Advocate is long. However, I doubt that this idea would ever get past the Klein government. This government has 19 departments working overtime to shut seniors up. They call our complaints whining or yipping. The only thing this government wants from seniors is their last drop of
blood. When a senior dies they should only have enough assets left to take care of the carcass.
If there was a Senior's Advocate Org. It would root out physical abuse along with many other abuses toward seniors. This organization would be biting at the Klein government's heels all the time. This government is pretty dumb sometimes but when it comes to their comfort they are constantly on the alert. Circle of Chairs, I wish you luck. I know you have already given hard work.
I understand that the Greens, NDs and Liberals have said yes to the Independent Seniors' Advocate idea, while the PCs have said no. Wouldn't want to tell people for whom to vote, but I, as a senior,now know for whom not to vote. I hope all seniors and those of you who plan to become seniors draw the same conclusions. We will, of course, get the government we deserve.
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