Olive Crane on the hustings (photo Guardian)
Another man hobbled to the door, telling Crane he didn’t understand why he couldn’t access disability support.
“You spend 15 minutes with people and you hear their stories. You’re problem-solving at every door.” Olive Crane quoted in Charlottetown Guardian Related – Committee recommends seniors get DSP coverage
Elizabeth Berrigan invisible in death (roses from Island Deaths)
She was a tall, beautiful and intelligent Irish woman of a proud Prince Edward Island family.
Those eyes of hers could flash with wit, laughter and life.
They were also windows to a tortured soul who struggled for 30 years with mental illness and disability. Continue reading
The Standing Committee on Health, Social Development and Seniors made a recommendation that Minister Janice Sherry include seniors in the PEI Disability Support Program.
The DSP provides assistive devices like wheelchairs and hearing aids to non-seniors with disabilities along with comprehensive home care.
Following up on that report Opposition Leader Olive Crane asked the Minister in Question Period if she would commit to including Seniors in the DSP by April 1, 2011.
Minister Sherry waffled in her reply deferring to another government committee comprised of NGO’s and volunteers.
How long will the 8,980 Islanders 65 years of age and older have to wait for relief from the crushing cost of wheelchairs, hearing aids and home support that will keep them living independently?
On December 7th, 2010 during Question Period, Crane asked about Sherry about “a large number of seniors with disabilities in the province. Madam Minister, will eligible seniors be able to access this program in April 1st of this coming year?” (Hansard) Continue reading
Seniors should be able to stay in their own homes (image Straford Meals on Wheels)
PRLog – Seniors on Prince Edward Island need support from the PEI Disability Support Program (DSP) to maintain independent lives in their own homes.
The current policies support the institutionalization of seniors with disabilities in public or private institutions. Continue reading
Eric Hammill before PEI Legislative Committee
The real needs of seniors living in poverty arise from disability. Disabled seniors get no assistance from the Province or the Federal Government towards the additional costs that they incur.
Seniors with disabilities on PEI are cut-off from supports when they reach their 65th birthday. The regulations say that you must be under 65 to apply for disability supports.
Of 9,000 seniors with disabilities on PEI, 1,600 need some assistive device that they can’t afford. The balance either have a health care plan or their own funds to purchase what they need.
If you are 15, 45 or 55 years old and need a $10,000 wheelchair, the PEI Disability Support Program will buy it for you, assuming you meet the income test. If you are 65 years of age and need the wheelchair, tough luck. The Province is too cheap to help. Continue reading
Sharon Cameron, Deputy Minister of Community Services Seniors
CBC is reporting the Department of Community Services Seniors and Labour will allow direct deposit for disability and social assistance payments. P.E.I. benefits to be offered by direct deposit. The choice of cheque or direct deposit will be with the recipient.
“The change will mean Islanders who request the new payment option can have their money put straight into their accounts instead of waiting for their cheques to arrive in the mail and then going to the bank to deposit them. The provincial government said it would give people the option to continue with cheques or switch to direct deposit.”
Two years ago we asked the Deputy Minister Sharon Cameron why the department insisted people in wheelchairs and the blind had to go the bank once a month to deposit their cheques. Some people with disabilities have to hire Pat and the Elephant or take a cab just to make the trip to the bank. It seemed ridiculous and considering the one’s getting support are living below the poverty line.
When CBC reported recently that a Summerside man was getting his Ontario Worker’s Compensation by cheque, we reminded Cameron of her promise to allow direct deposit on PEI for people with disabilities. Continue reading
By David MacDonald david@peicanada.com. Eastern Graphic
Inclusions East, the organization overseeing the Kingswood Centre and the Southern Kings Group Home in Montague, is awaiting responses from a housing needs survey that could be the first step in getting additional support for those with intellectual disabilities living in eastern PEI.
Editor – what the article doesn’t say is if the survey will widen the scope of the program to people with intellectual disabilities beyond existing clients. Secondarily, how much assistance is being given to the people being surveyed? Sending complex questionnaires to people with intellectual disabilities often results in low response rates or inaccurate responses for obvious reasons. They may not understand the questions or may be intimidated by the process. We attempted to ask these questions but gave up after holding on the line for more than 30 minutes.