Valeriote Goes Ad Hoc for Senior Care

It took a lot of effort, but I managed to surpress the urge to write "Valeriote Forms Death Panel -- I Kid" in the headline box. All joking aside though, it's nice to see that there are still people in Parliament that can get along. And despite the drastic misrepresentation of the issue by people like Sarah Palin, an aging population plus limited resources means this end of life and elderly care issues need to be looked at seriously by serious people. But let's read what the Valeriote team has to say in a press release

Frank Valeriote Announces Formation of Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care

Frank Valeriote, Member of Parliament for Guelph, is pleased to announce the formation of a new, non-partisan multi-party group of MPs spanning the political spectrum aimed at promoting awareness of glaring deficiencies in Canada's palliative and compassionate care framework, fostering constructive dialogue and substantive research on an array of related subjects, and implementing policies to address this critical deficiency in the nation`s approach to long-term health.

The Parliamentary Coalition on Palliative and Compassionate Care (PCPCC) is an ad-hoc organization whose membership is open to any legislator who shares the pressing concerns of a growing number of Canadians about present levels of care available to an aging society and people with disabilities. Inspired by broad consultations undertaken in every region of Canada by Members of all parties, PCPCC will preoccupy itself with a series of distinct but symbiotic challenges including:

1) A critical nationwide shortage of expertise and material resources in the fields of palliative, hospice, and home care;
2) Suicide prevention, pain control and the implications of an ongoing mental health crisis;
3) Elder abuse and;
4) Disability issues.

The group`s founders include Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh), Frank Valeriote (Guelph), Michelle Simson (Scarborough Southwest), Harold Albrecht (Kitchener-Conestoga), Kelly Block (Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar).

Each of the inaugural members has committed to conducting the Coalition`s work in a spirit of cooperation and purpose, and to enhancing the profile of these serious issues within their respective national caucuses and broader constituencies. United in a belief that Canada`s elected representatives should confront such contentious issues boldly and without recourse to partisanship, the group will circulate a formal invitation soliciting the participation of any interested colleagues in the House.

“While we acknowledge that we have the best health care system in the world, with Canada’s demographics changing so rapidly the shortcomings and gaps in our health system must be urgently addressed. Too many Canadians have had experiences where family or close friends have born witness to serious shortcomings in hospice and home care, or even the occurrence of elder abuse. Our newly formed Parliamentary Committee feels compelled to add valuable momentum and ideas to find solutions. Meaningfully addressing end of life and mental health issues as well as issues effecting people with disabilities bring dignity and a sense of significance to the lives of those suffering as well as their families and care givers. It is our sincere hope that this collaborative, non-partisan group of MPs will be able to help accomplish this in Parliament."