Presentation to Priorities & Planning Committee Meeting with - PDF document

Presentation to Priorities & Planning Committee Meeting with Priority & Planning Committee March 3, 2016 NWT Seniors’ Society & the NWT Network to Prevent Abuse of Older Adults Presenters: Leon Peterson, President Merlyn Williams, Treasurer Barb Hood, Executive Director General Comments: Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you about our priorities and the opportunities which exist to form effective, positive and lasting partnerships for the benefit of older adults in the NWT. Barb: About the NWT Seniors’ Society – Who We Are? What We Do? Mission -Established 33 years ago to ensure older adults have dignity, independence, participation, fairness and security within the community. -Provides information, acts as a resource and supports for older adults throughout the NWT. -Only voluntary non-profit/non-government organization representing the individual and collective interests of all NWT older adults. Structure -Non-profit under the Societies Act of the NWT since 1983; 9 member Board of Directors of representatives from small and large communities throughout the NWT, appointed by their community member organizations representing the interests of older adults throughout the NWT; -Community-based approaches informs Directors who serve all older adults not just those in their community/region; - Board functions and is funded as the Seniors’ Advisory Council which provides advice and support to GNWT, through the Minister Responsible for Seniors. 1

Staff and Resources -Executive Director only, with casual and contractors as project funds allow; -Resources vary depending on project funds available; -Multi-funding sources, specifically over the past 5 years, Federal Government funding to building the NWT Network to Prevent Abuse of Older Adults. Revenue from the Federal Government totaled $725,000 for the last three years. Average funding from GNWT through multi-year funding from Health and Social Services if $199,000.00. The only increase in funding in the last 10 years was $12,000 to support the capacity of the Seniors’ Advisory Council. We do not receive increase s in funding in consideration of forced growth or indexing of contributions. Contract staff provides accounting, bookkeeping, and communications functions. We have two websites, Facebook, Twitter, newsletters and regularly engage with a wide range of people about issues and events of interest. The Executive Director answers the Seniors’ Information Line which provides support, referrals and information to callers from across the NWT; initiates Senior Citizens’ Month programming which includes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Intergenerational Day proclamations and intergenerational programming; co- ordinating and support for Seniors’ Advisory Council meetings and functions that support government programs and services; Community Outreach Programs which includes workshops, development of seniors groups; trains and supports training workshops on various topics of interest to older adults including preventing abuse of older adults workshops; and admin and coordination for the NWT Network to Prevent Abuse of Older Adults and the regular gatherings of the Seniors’ Advisory Council. Leon: 3. Our Strategic Priorities We have four main priorities in our strategic plan. Our priorities were identified in 2014 when our Board of Directors met. These priorities were informed and confirmed in the recent research and study conducted by Aurora Research Institute in 2014-15 entitled Influences on Quality of Life of Older Adults in the Northwest Territories . We asked you about these priorities in our pre-election survey. 2

1. Lower Living Costs As you know, most NWT older adults live on a fixed income but like all northerners don’t have fixed living costs. Rising food costs that are three or more times the national average depending on the community, and the continuing high costs of transportation, energy, and housing are hitting older adults hard in all communities, and contributing to growing poverty and inequality. We need to seriously tackle living costs not only because it is the right thing to do, and is a human rights issue, but for the clear benefits to older adults in terms of health and independence and lower health and care costs for public programs and services. Reducing living costs was a mantra throughout both the federal and territorial election campaigns. Thank you for recognizing the vulnerability of older adults on fixed incomes and for your interest in improving the Nutrition North Program and increasing the Northern Residents Deduction. These two initiatives can help but they are not the only actions that can be taken. In these times, doing the same things over and over won’t help. We need to be bold, creative, and step outside the box. Focusing on growing local economies is one approach we endorse because it is sustainable, controlled by local people, keeps money circulating in the community and engages both young and old. For example, older adults have a wealth of skills and knowledge to bring to strengthening local food systems and we have lots of experience sharing and taking collective action that can be instructive in reducing day to day costs if we all work together. We are glad that you share our concerns about ensuring safe, adequate and affordable housing for older adults. Housing is a cost of living flashpoint for all older adults but especially so in larger centres. There just aren’t enough affordable options for people on fixed income. We appreciate Kieron Testart and Rocky Simpson’s plan to invest in senior s housing and Cory Vanthuyne’s commitment to ‘seniors’ specific’ renovation and quality homecare programs. The NWT Seniors’ Society would like to explore these ideas and connect them with Bob McLeod’s commitment to a new NWT Seniors’ Strategy and Glen Abernathy’s commitment to implementing the Our Elders: Our Communities . Lower living costs will reduce the anxiety experienced by many older adults. Given the high incidence of financial abuse of older adults throughout the NWT, lower living costs could also have benefits in keeping older adults safe. We know of a household in this territory where 17 people live in a three bedroom house. This is not only dangerous and woefully inadequate but it is a severe disregard for the human right of each family to life with dignity. 3

2. Safe Communities 70% of older adults in the NWT see abuse as a problem in their communities. The NWT Seniors’ Society has worked for 20 years on efforts to stop older adult abuse and intensified these efforts in last five years. We’ve conducted first of its kind research, held territorial and community meetings and workshops, led education and training efforts, supported intergenerational projects, done legislative and policy research, and advocacy. We’ve established the NWT Network to Prevent Abuse of Older Adults, which involves over 75 individuals and agencies from throughout the NWT. We’ve evaluated our efforts, and with the NWT Network, put forward the Creating Safe Communities for Older Adults: A Five Year Strategy for the Northwest Territories 2015-2020. We have the support of the Department of Health & Social Services and the Minister Responsible for Seniors to put this work forward to the Legislative Assembly as a tabled document sometime in the near future. We know from our work over the years to stop older adult abuse that creating safe communities for all older adults requires a concerted effort by everyone in the community. It also requires a long term, sustained commitment that builds on successes. These are the principles that underlie the Creating Safe Communities Strategy. The Strategy has four priorities – public engagement, community responses, education and training, and policy and legislation – and 20 actions. We have not costed out the strategy but it will require few new resources but it does require the time commitment and focus of all our partners, including the GNWT and its various health and social services authorities. Merlyn: 3. Medical Services Older adults in the NWT are fortunate to have a supportive health care system and Extended Health Care benefits that allow us to maintain our health and live independently for as long as possible. There was consensus among those of you responding to our pre-election survey that no changes would or should be made to Extended Healthcare Benefits for NWT seniors. It is heartening to hear that you recognize the importance of these benefits to quality of life, dignity and independence. This assurance is very positive when older adults look at the benefits of staying in the NWT. Attracting people to move to be with family has a revenue benefit as well as a social benefit for all the NWT. Still, we worry about how this government will actually fulfill its commitment to maintaining benefits and quality health services. We are concerned about the costs and possible impacts of the Stanton Hospital Renewal Project going ahead without any public discussion 4