Affordable and accessible housing, increased funding, consistent program delivery and flexibility raised at DSRC public meetings

PEGGY REVELL, The Guardian

Faye Pound and Eric Hammill, representing the Senior Citizens’ Federation, speak about the difficulties that disabled senior citizens face while trying to live independently, at a public meeting of the P.E.I. Disability Services Review Committee in Charlottetown Wednesday. Guardian photo

Affordable and accessible housing, increased funding, consistent program delivery and flexibility were some of the issues raised by the dozen community organizations and individuals appearing before the P.E.I. Disability Services Review Committee Wednesday morning.

Over 60 people attended the public meeting in Charlottetown to discuss what did and didn’t work with the province’s disability services.  

It was the sixth of seven public meetings before the committee submits a written report to Social Services and Seniors Minister Doug Currie.

“We know seniors enjoy a greater quality of life when they are able to remain in their homes,” Faye Pound, the co-ordinator of the P.E.I. Senior Citizens’ Federation, told the committee.

“It’s also far more cost-efficient to the health-care system if programs keep disabled seniors in their homes. But there are great challenges to these seniors, especially if there is financial need.”

Renovation costs to make homes accessible, limited transportation, drug costs, user fees, even the increase in heating fuel prices have all impacted the ability of seniors with disabilities to maintain their independence, she said.

Instead of inventing new programs, Pound recommended the government study existing ones like the federal government’s Veteran’s Independence Program, and reassess how incomes are used to determine aid to better reflect the cost of living.

It’s this income-based ceiling that Beverly Montgomery, who spoke on behalf of stroke patients, said is one of the biggest problems.
Services and repairs were needed for the family home after Montgomery’s husband, John, suffered his first stroke, but because of their higher income level, the family was only given the lifetime limit of $2,000 to cover the costs, she said.

“Doorways have to be widened,” Montgomery said.

“Bathrooms have to be all changed around. Wheelchair ramps have to be put in. All of these cost money and insurance policies don’t cover the cost of this. So it has to come from somewhere.

“There are increased costs with medical, prescription drugs as well for a lot of people. Once (patients) leave the hospital, the cost is with the family.”

The cost for caring for her husband has amounted to over $75,000 so far, she said.

Much of that has been covered by insurance, while she works to support her family and is a caregiver for her husband.

But John is now in the hospital after suffering from a second stroke.

If he is ever able to come home, Montgomery said she needs financial help from the provincial government to care for him.
“We need more help,” she said.

“The caregivers need more help. Caregivers are doing as much as they possibly can.”

Some presentations, such as one by Stephen Pate, expressed skepticism about the ability of the committee and government to make a difference for disabled people.

“In a province with 22,000 people with disabilities, one could hardly call something working if only 1,100 people are getting support,” said Pate about the current system to the committee he was a policy adviser and researcher for until recently.

Pate says he left the committee in frustration with what he saw as a lack of empathy on the committee for people with disabilities.
But he thought the presentations were good.

“I like a lot of the detail that people brought,” he said.

“Whether (the committee) will rely on this, whether they will rely on the 50 presentations . . . will that be enough?”