About
Who Are We?
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We are older adults from across Ontario who came together as volunteers to challenge the ageist attitudes and policies that have led to the unjust mass institutionalization and high death rates of elders in Ontario.
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We understand that human rights do not come with an expiry date as people grow old.
We support the inclusion and continued full citizenship of elders in Ontario society, irrespective of age, infirmity, or disability.
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We promote a range of alternatives to long-term care institutions including fully funded in-home support; individualized direct funding; a fully accessible and expanded family -managed care program; paid family caregivers; and warm, respectful, non-profit or municipally operated community residences to support elders to remain in their own homes, neighborhoods and communities; as well as PACE (Programs of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) and Hub and Spoke models that bring care to older adults wherever they live.
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We recognize that the time to change the ageist attitudes, approaches, and public policies of the past is now.
We are a powerful voting block in Ontario, and it is time we used our electoral power to bring about long overdue systemic changes in the way we are treated in this province.
Our Mission
The mission of this group is to identify alternatives to institutionalization and encourage governments to finance these alternatives with a goal to end institutionalization.
Our Objectives
To end the systemic discrimination of forcing thousands of elderly citizens into institutions because of a lack of not for profit, community-based choices.
To eliminate large multi-national long term care corporations making profits from the institutionalization of disabled older adults.
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To demand age-friendly and respectful non-profit community based residential alternatives to long term care institutions including older adults independent living communities with care hubs designed to prevent institutionalization; smaller fully staffed community congregate living arrangements for older adults with dementia and/or other disabilities; supported independent living (SIL) programs; caring communities programs on the L’Arche model; and other innovative residential alternatives of seniors’ choice.
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To ensure that Ontario and Municipal government policies, procedures, and practices are anti-ageist.
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To insist that all parties in the Ontario legislature immediately refrain from calling for more long term care beds in order to institutionalize even more older adults and instead call for alternatives to these institutions including the residential alternatives outlined earlier and a fully funded home care program that is needs based and includes much higher levels of in-home care minus the current rigid bureaucratic infrastructure, as well as significantly more respite support for caregivers.
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To institute age-friendly policies and practices in Home and Community Care Support Services, Ontario Health Teams, and Ontario hospitals, and end forced discharges of older adults into unsafe long term care institutions under Bill 7or back home with inadequate home care.
To obtain more police investigations when crimes are committed against older adults in long term care institutions and in the community.
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To secure commitments from all levels of government that the skills, knowledge, and experience of older adults will be taken seriously and help form the basis for policies, practices, and procedures for which they are responsible.
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To promote research into aging that is inclusive of older adults and takes into account their views and experiences.