Seniors groups hope long-term care gets boost in Alberta budget

Seniors groups and continuing care agencies are hoping services for older Albertans don't take a hit in Thursday’s provincial budget.

The head of a group that represents continuing care facilities, home care and other support agencies says the sector has already endured enough cost cutting.

“There's been years where home care hasn't received increases in two three years. So it's hard to sustain when all your other costs are going up,” said Alberta Continuing Care Association CEO Tammy Leach.

Leach says some operators have been forced to cut staff or contract out and she doesn't want to see care levels drop further because of budget constraints.

"Our acute care system is funded 33 per cent higher than the national average yet our continuing care system is funded 19 per cent below the national average,” she said.

Wayne Sorenson, who was in Calgary Tuesday to launch a local chapter of the advocacy group Seniors United Now, says he hopes there will not be any cuts to programs for seniors.

"Certainly our concern would be with prescription drugs, [and] once again the availability of long-term care,” he said.

Seniors United Now already has five chapters in Edmonton and one in Red Deer. As the group expands to Calgary, Sorenson says meetings have been set up with Health Minister Stephen Mandel and Seniors Minister Jeff Johnson.

"He will explain to us the new budget that’s been handed down and how it’s going to affect seniors,” he said.