Home care for Alberta seniors MUST be reversed

Alberta Health Services a provincial health minister Fred Horne really should be ashamed of themselves. Horne spoke to the media Tuesday and said he has no plans of reversing  changes to home care for senior citizens. Horne says he’s facing a time-crunch. Well, Mr. Horne: make more time. Because what you are doing to the very cornerstone of this province is most disrespectful.

Home care touches me personally. I have cerebral palsy and rely on home care so I can be a member of society. When AHS announced in June they were making sweeping changes — including eliminating the self-directed program I use — we bluntly told them “no.” We started a campaign on social media and mainstream media … and we won. Three self-directed contracts were reversed. If AHS and the government did it for us, why can’t they afford the same logical way of thinking for senior citizens? What kind of an example is this for our young people in regards to respecting seniors?

Sadly, I think, this comes down to disrespect from the government. The very fact senior citizens were not consulted about changes to their care doesn’t show much respect. Seniors in Alberta needing home care are being steamrolled. What a disgraceful way to treat Alberta pioneers. They deserve to be honored for all the work they have done by getting the proper care in their golden years. That’s a way to honor them. And Mr. Horne and AHS need to re-think this. Because this is wrong.

Please email me your comments by CLICKING HERE.  We need to circle the wagons again — and make absolutely certain senior citizens in Albertans are respected the way they should.