Hon. Alice Wong, P.C.

July 28, 2015
Toronto, Ontario
Employment and Social Development Canada

Good afternoon everyone.

I would like to start off by thanking MaRS Discovery District for having us today. I also want to thank Mr. Goldthorp from Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation of Toronto and Ms. McEwen from Innoweave for their remarks and partnership with us for this exciting announcement. And of course, thank you to Dr. Andrew Wister, and his colleagues from the National Seniors Council, for setting the stage for today’s announcement.

I am delighted to be here today to share some good news for seniors in the Greater Toronto Area.

As Minister of State for Seniors, it is my duty to work with partners from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors to address seniors’ issues under the federal purview.

When we talk about older Canadians, it is easy to get stuck on the word “seniors.”

We must remember who they really are.

They are the Canadians who shaped the country we know today. It is all too easy to take them and their contribution to Canada for granted.  We are indebted to them.

In their time, they were the stewards of our country. They built it and preserved it, and held it in trust for this generation, just as we do now for generations to come. We owe them a debt of gratitude and respect.

I am delighted to be making this announcement today. And I would like to take a moment to put today’s announcement in the context of the work that we have done over the past four years.  Many of our files have built upon each other.  And in a sense, the place where we find ourselves today in the area of seniors policy after four years can be regarded as a natural progression from where we began.

Information

First, information: it is critical.

Very early on we heard from Canadians that many citizens are confused about what the different levels of government do, and are struggling to access needed, basic information.

In response, we developed the Information for Seniors and Information for Caregiver web portals which are located at Canada.ca/Seniors.

Using an interactive map of Canada, these two web portals provide links to federal, provincial and municipal programs and services.

This was done collaboratively with my colleagues, the Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors, whom I have had the pleasure of meeting with on four occasions over the past four years.

Seniors policy

The interactive map and portals we created at Canada.ca/seniors illustrate visually something important about the nature of seniors and aging as an area of public policy analysis.

Seniors policy is inherently interdisciplinary.

Issues affecting Canadian seniors fall within the scope of many federal departments and agencies.

While the Office of the Minister of State for Seniors is located within Employment and Social Development Canada—part of my job is to work collaboratively with other federal cabinet ministers with respect to issues affecting Canada’s seniors.

I have found that to do the work of Seniors Policy, one of the basic requirements is to bring together information and perspectives relevant to seniors from across all of government, and assess it holistically.

Sometimes this work requires mediating complex relationships that exist within and between these larger departments and agencies across government.  This can be a difficult task for public officials working in the area of seniors policy.

Depending on the issue, the relevant expertise and policy authorities may reside in another department altogether, while the holistic mandate to do seniors policy analysis is located at Employment and Social Development Canada.

This presents challenges and calls for collaborative approaches to doing the work of seniors policy.

Last year we published the Government of Canada – Action for Seniors report. The premise of this report was simple. Gather together, in one document, the various activities of the federal government that pertain, in one way or another, to seniors. We are very pleased with the result.

Employment and Social Development Canada chairs an interdepartmental committee which brings together representatives from over  23 federal departments and agencies and serves as a focal point for the wide range of disciplines affected by seniors’ issues. It was the work of that table that allowed us to produce the Action for Seniors report.

The Report has been warmly received by Canadians. But, separate from the report itself, I would add that the process of producing the report was helpful for us as it provided a focal point for a comprehensive examination of seniors policy federally.

So, the lesson I learned is that seniors policy is interdisciplinary, comprised of many sources from across government, and that to address seniors’ issues, effort is required to bring together and assess all of the relevant inputs within government.

This is not an easy task, but in my view, it is an essential one.

I am also pleased to announce that a new centre of expertise in the area of Elder Law within Employment and Social Development  Canada is now under development.

Currently, the area of Elder Law touches upon many areas of law, including wills, estates, trusts, substitute decision making, estate planning, health care, consent law, long term care and other housing laws, consumer law, criminal law, real estate, pensions and benefits, veterans and more.  We are also in the midst of the biggest intergenerational transfer of wealth in Canadian history, which will affect the law of business associations and in particular small businesses.

The development of legal and policy expertise in the area of Elder Law will be an essential element to the Government’s ongoing work in the area of seniors policy in the years ahead.

It will also provide a useful point of contact federally for the growing number of dedicated legal practitioners in this growing area of law.

Social isolation

In 2014, I was pleased to appoint Dr. Andrew Wister as Chair of the National Seniors Council.

In November of last year, the National Seniors Council released its report entitled “Report on the Social Isolation of Seniors.” This report was particularly significant in bringing to light the issue of social isolation among Canada’s seniors.

Social isolation can be defined as “a low quantity and quality of contact with others.” Social isolation is different than loneliness, which is the subjective perception of a lack of interaction or contact with others. Rather, a situation of social isolation involves few social contacts and few social roles, as well as the absence of mutually rewarding relationships.

The impact of social isolation on seniors is very troubling. Some of the key findings of the report illustrate the unique challenges and risks that social isolation can place upon seniors.

Social isolation can cause a lack of social cohesion and risks the permanent loss of the valuable social contributions that seniors make to their communities.

Socially isolated seniors are more likely to be at risk of harms such as elder abuse, including financial abuse and fraud.

They are also more likely to experience mental health challenges such as depression, social anxiety, loneliness and addictions. Social isolation is correlated to dementia, as well.

On the other hand, it is clear that quality contact with a community or a network of support can have a profound impact on the livelihood, mental and physical health and well-being of seniors, as well as the prosperity of local communities.

The report of the National Seniors Council identified a number of measures that may help to reduce the social isolation of seniors.

One of the primary recommendations was for the federal government to assist with the collective capacity-building of organizations to address the social isolation of seniors.

This report has in turn led us to consider new and innovative ways the New Horizons for Seniors Program might support the work of a wide variety of organizations in attempting to address this complex issue.

And that brings us to today, here at MaRS Discovery District. We chose MaRS for today’s announcement because it exemplifies what innovation and collaboration can achieve.

Since MaRS was established in 2005, it has sought to contribute to social prosperity by catalyzing partnership and innovative thought.  MaRS represents the intersections of innovation and partnership. Bringing together corporate, small  business, government, academic and research  sectors, MaRS works to equip organizations with innovative methodologies and strategic partnerships to help maximize organizations’ societal impact.

The recent call for proposals for pan-Canadian projects supports social innovation principles and signifies a dynamic new way of addressing issues like social isolation among seniors.

This approach calls for various groups, such as local governments, businesses, community organizations and academics, to come together to collectively solve specific challenges faced by seniors.

For this call for proposals, we partnered with the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and its Innoweave initiative.

Organizations applying for funding were asked to develop an impact plan encompassing a group of projects that would tackle social isolation through their collective efforts focused in a particular geographic area.

With over 200 project proposals received, I was very pleased to see such an overwhelming response to this call.

Today I am pleased to announce the first successful proposal of many.  I want to be very clear to the many other applicants that decisions on all applications will be taken in due course.

So, I am delighted to announce funding of close to a combined $3.7 million for six Toronto organizations who will join forces to create the ENRICHES Collective Impact Plan.

ENRICHES stands for Engagement to Reduce Isolation of Caregivers at Home and Enhancing Seniors.

These organizations will be sharing their insights and expertise and focusing their collective efforts on achieving integrated project goals.

As project partners, they will enhance the GTA community’s capacity to reduce social isolation among seniors who are also caregivers.

Seniors who are caregivers—often to their spouse—are often at great risk of social isolation. Isolation can set in gradually, sometimes without notice.

Together, with a common vision, these partners will work to identify caregiving seniors who are at risk of social isolation. ENRICHES will help to assist caregiving seniors and seek to prevent social isolation through awareness-raising of key risks, public outreach, educational programming and targeted outreach among diverse communities across the GTA.

The overall impact of their concerted efforts will have far-reaching benefits for local seniors and for the existing network of other GTA seniors-serving organizations.

Project partners include the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation of Toronto; the Sinai Health System – The Reitman Centre; WoodGreen Community Services; the Alzheimer Society of Toronto; the Canadian Mental Health Association; and North York Community House.

These organizations have a vested interest in addressing the needs of seniors and in supporting isolated caregivers who are seniors—seniors who face the complex challenges of loneliness and isolation that the tremendous responsibility of caregiving can bring.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is just the beginning. In the months to come, other projects from across Canada submitted during the recent Call will be receiving funding.

Over the next 5 years, these pan-Canadian New Horizons projects will focus on measurably reducing social isolation among seniors and will have a tangible impact on older Canadians through creating social connections, strengthening social bonds and building a sense of community.

The Government of Canada has also adopted this approach of innovation and collaboration, working with the private sector, communities and not-for-profit organizations over the past four years on a number of initiatives to enhance the lives of seniors.

Working with the private sector

Last June I launched the Canadian Employer Panel for Caregivers. The panel consisted of representatives from small-, medium- and large-size businesses across the country, including Johnson & Johnson, Ernst & Young and Home Depot.

The panel was launched with the goal of starting a national discussion on employee caregivers in the work place. There are currently 6.1 million Canadians, or 35 percent of our work force providing care to a family member or friend. The Conference Board of Canada estimates the annual cost of lost productivity to Canadian employers due to caregiving responsibilities is close to $1.3 billion.

The Panel consulted with businesses of all sizes across the country on the issue and their work culminated in the release of an excellent report entitled, “When Work and Caregiving Collide” in January of this year.

The report contains their findings, with practical resources that companies of all sizes can use in assessing the business impact of caregiving and how flexible workplace practices can help them retain their best and brightest talent.

Today’s project announcement tackles the issue of caregiving from a different perspective—for the isolation that it can produce.

Working with provinces

Through the Forum of Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors, we’re doing a tremendous amount of work to address social isolation.

Collaboration is key.

Through this forum, not only do we share promising approaches, but we’re also encouraging organizations and communities to work together to engage socially isolated seniors through innovative projects and help reduce and prevent social isolation.

Working with communities

I would also like to touch on the issue of homeless seniors in the context of the need for innovative approaches to complex problems.

Homelessness among the elderly is troubling, particularly for those with mental illness or impairment who may be incapable of applying for Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefits.

Last Friday, I announced the Supporting Homeless Seniors Program.  Our Government is committed to ensuring that homeless seniors receive the CPP, OAS and GIS benefits they are eligible for.

We are working closely with front-line organizations to reach and support Canada’s most vulnerable seniors.

Thanks to this program, community organizations, such as the Salvation Army, can apply to act as third-party administrators of these benefits for homeless seniors.

A third-party administrator could be a non-profit or registered charitable organization, or a municipality.

As a third-party administrator, qualified organizations and municipalities can apply for and receive CPP and OAS benefits on behalf of a senior they serve and represent, to use the benefits in the best interest of that person.

Those without a home should not have to, and no longer will have to, lose out on this income.

Through this innovative program, by working collaboratively with non-profit and charitable organizations and municipalities to deliver these benefits, we’re doing all we can to make sure no one falls through the cracks.

Conclusion

I am grateful for your patience today in allowing me to take a little extra time to place today’s announcement in context.

I have tried in a short span of time to summarize four years of work:

• our information for seniors and information for caregiver web portals;
• our ongoing work in developing a methodology for seniors policy analysis that recognizes that it is an inherently interdisciplinary area of public policy, which requires the hard work of holistic analysis from across all of government in order to be coherent;
• the development of social isolation as a focus of our work over the next 5 years, which is reflected in the NHSP program and our partnership with J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and Innoweave, as well as the work of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors, and of course the work and report of the National Seniors Council, which in many respects represents the foundation of much of this work;
• the work of the Canadian Employers Panel for Caregivers;
• the Supporting Homeless Seniors Program;
• and, of course today’s wonderful announcement of ENRICHES, which will be led by Mount Sinai Hospital, and its partners.

We are on the cusp of the most profound demographic shift in Canadian history. What unites all of this work is the need to take a holistic approach to seniors issues that unites many subject areas and disciplines, and people engaged in this work in many different ways; and working together, to think and act with creativity and with innovation, and with the determination to tackle the challenges that lie ahead for all of us.

It has been my very great privilege to do this work.

Thank you.

Filed under: Commentary, Seniors