Issue link: http://clhia.uberflip.com/i/206673
Canada, Meal on Wheels is a not-for-profit organization that has the objective of helping people live independently in their own homes. To this end, volunteers play a significant role by delivering meals and providing transportation to essential appointments with physicians and health care professionals. In the U.S., we have started to see private companies spring up based on this principle. For instance, a company in the U.S., Seniors Helping Seniors, matches seniors who want to provide help with seniors who are looking for help. The company started in 1998 with a concept that seniors can help each other age better and that those who give and those who receive benefit equally. Canada needs to ensure that we encourage and promote an active senior volunteer infrastructure as a means to mitigate against some of the expected shortages outlined above. Governments could encourage volunteerism by providing special tax incentives to recognize seniors that volunteer to provide in-home care. This approach would benefit all participants by allowing those providing care to remain active in the community while those receiving the care would benefit from the support received. In addition, in-home care is cost effective and would help to relieve the capacity pressures that are and will continue to face the long-term care system. Recommendation The CLHIA recommends that federal, provincial and territorial governments along with stakeholders promote volunteerism, particularly among seniors, to assist those that require long-term care. This could include introducing tax credits for such volunteering. 6. ENCOURAGE HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROMOTION Staying healthy for longer and avoiding the need for additional support is in everyone's interests. Not only does this maximize the individual's life satisfaction but it can contribute to lower costs on the health care system, including long-term care, thereby lowering the impact of costs on all payers. Health promotion programs focus on educating individuals about how to increase control over and improve their health in a variety of areas. This can include improving knowledge related to nutrition, physical activity, and mental health. Wellness programs--a type of health promotion program--involve all aspects of the individual: mental, physical, and spiritual. Both types of programs provide structured opportunities to increase knowledge and skills in specific areas, such as stress management, or environmental sensitivity. They also provide a supportive environment for the emotional and intellectual needs of participants, and aid individuals in becoming increasingly responsive to their health needs and quality of life. Health promotion has gained increasing attention in recent years. Indeed, in the CLHIA's 2009 health policy paper, it was recommended that governments support more health promotion policies and provide more assistance to health promotion programs. The CLHIA strongly believes this would also be beneficial in the context of long-term care. 16