NEGLECTED NO MORE: THE URGENT NEED TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CANADA'S ELDERS IN THE WAKE OF A PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT

In Part One, he describes the pandemic disasters that occurred in early 2020;the history of the development of long-term care (LTC) homes in Canada;the funding, staffing and oversight (or lack thereof) in these settings;the linkage between LTC homes and Home Care;and the fractured nature of the health care system as it relates to Canadian older adults. Picard gets some things right, when he identifies that older adult care is complex care across settings (community, acute and LTC homes);more nurses are needed in LTC homes;older adults and families need more support and more choices in Home Care services;different models of LTC homes are needed, not more custodial care;and finally, as a society, an all-out effort is needed to improve the care of older adults, in line with the all-out search for COVID-19 vaccines. On the last page of the book, Picard says that fixing eldercare is... about giving life to our values and he cites that [our love and value for] our parents, grandparent and great-grandparents.must be reflected in public policy.