TORONTO, Oct. 01, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CARP, Canada’s largest advocacy organization for older adults is marking National Seniors Day 2019 with a call to action for Canada’s political leaders on the issues that matter most to its members.
“Today, National Seniors Day, CARP is calling on federal leaders to commit to implementing a national seniors strategy,” said Marissa Lennox, CARP’s Chief Policy Officer. “While there have been numerous platform commitments from all parties on seniors issues, Canada still lacks a comprehensive, national plan for our aging population.”
CARP also released the results of a recent survey in which CARP members were asked to identify their top priorities for the election campaign. The top three issues they identified are: health care, climate change and national pharmacare.
But seniors also placed importance on preventative health. Ninety-four percent of CARP members polled believe that a national pharmacare program should include coverage for preventative adult vaccines for illnesses such as flu, shingles and pneumococcal (pneumonia).
Fully one-third of CARP respondents identify pension protection and jobs and the economy as key issues. “Financial security is a pressing issue for seniors, many of whom are on fixed incomes. Over 65% of CARP members polled worry about having enough money to last through retirement and 97% believe the government must take steps to protect pensions,” explained Lennox.
CARP also cautioned against generalizing when it comes to seniors. “Older adults are not a homogenous voting block. The issues that matter most to our members reflect the priorities of Canadians of all ages,” said Lennox. “The one issue most CARP members agree on is the importance of voting. In fact, 98% of survey respondents intend to vote on election day.”
About CARP
CARP is a non-profit, non-partisan association representing more than 320,000 older Canadians across Canada. We advocate to uphold the rights and improve the lives of Canadians as we age. CARP’s policy platform, The Faces of Canada’s Seniors, urges government to support affordable and safer long-term care options across the country. www.carp.ca.
Contact:
Marissa Lennox
Chief Policy Officer, CARP
media@carp.ca
(416) 648-4917
Meghan Lauber
Lytton Communications
meg.lauber@lyttoncommunications.com
(416) 200-9869