Advocating for Tyndall Park seniors

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/05/2023 (915 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Over the last few months, I have been working with some seniors in Tyndall Park and it is evident that the provincial government is not doing enough to address the many issues that affect seniors. It is crucial that the government addresses these issues immediately, as they’ve been ignored for decades.

Many of these issues have to do with the public health-care system and timely access to services. Seniors in Tyndall Park have told me they feel strongly that a two-tiered health system is being created by this government. The feel that the concerns of nurses and doctors about workload and staffing are being ignored.

Manitoba has the lowest per capita number of family physicians in the entire country. We need over 400 more doctors to even attain the national average. I continue to push the province to do more to better retain and recognize physicians in the public system.

As waitlists and backlogs continue to be a problem, many seniors are not getting the care they need. It is incredibly disheartening that Manitobans often must go to health facilities, sometimes for longer periods of time, far from their own communities and loved ones because of closures across the province.

We are supposed to be striving for community-based health care. Seven Oaks Hospital is the closest hospital to Tyndall Park, and it continues to be under-utilized because the provincial government will not properly staff the facility.

Another serious concern is that many seniors cannot afford their prescribed medications. Many are on fixed incomes, and some health plans don’t cover the medications they need for their specific ailments. While I continue to work with the federal government to implement a national pharmacare plan, the province needs to be doing more to ensure seniors have their life-saving medications covered by Manitoba Health.

Dental work is an ongoing concern, too, as Manitoba Health coverage does not extend to dental care. As Manitobans age, they continue to need regular check-ups and procedures. I have also heard from constituents that the shingles shot is too expensive for them. Vaccines are essential to public health and the shingles vaccine should be covered, as it is in Ontario.

Seniors also want home care to remain public, with more accountability, higher standards and proper management. As we saw throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, more attention must also be paid to long-term care homes. We need to ensure there are sufficient nurses and health care aides in all long-term care facilities. This can be addressed by offering better wages to attract people back into the system, investing in the system to ensure enough staff are always on hand, and recognizing and protecting those who work hard within the system.

Seniors need and deserve these changes. They have been ignored for far too long and it is a matter of respect and safety that they are able to get the care they need. I will continue to advocate for these issues to be addressed to ensure all seniors’ concerns are being heard.

If you live in Tyndall Park and you have more ideas. please email me at cindy@gocindy.ca or call my office at 204-615-9961.