TORONTO – Liberals are calling on the Conservative government to immediately begin working with organizations that provide healthcare services to Canadians living with brain disorders to determine how to best support caregivers.
As part of the of the Liberal Express home care week, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and Liberal Public Health Critic, Dr. Kirsty Duncan, visited Baycrest, one of the world’s leading academic health sciences centers focused on aging and associated brain disorders.
“The Liberal Party understands that to fully support people with brain disorders, we must also provide support for their caregivers,” said Mr. Ignatieff.
“While the Conservatives have done little to acknowledge the work of unpaid home caregivers, the Liberal Party is committed to increasing support for them and improving Canadian healthcare,” added Dr. Duncan.
During their visit, Mr. Ignatieff and Dr. Duncan had the opportunity to take a virtual tour of the brain, as well as participate in presentations on transgenerational research and the importance of personal assistant devices for people experiencing prolonged memory loss. The Liberal Leader and Dr. Duncan also had the opportunity to meet with caregivers and seniors receiving treatment.
“Unlike this Conservative government, Liberals understand that there is a clear need for leadership in the area of brain disorders impacting the aging population,” said Dr. Duncan.
This spring, the Liberal Party tabled a motion in the House of Commons calling on the government to adopt an evidence-based, multi-disciplinary, holistic approach to understanding and addressing brain conditions, with integrated strategies to help those with brain conditions live to their full potential.
Organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society, MS Society, Alzheimer Society of Canada, VON Canada and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada have called for greater leadership to support family caregivers and home care.
“Liberals agree with these calls for action and we have made it one of our main priorities. We’ll be working with these organizations and Baycrest to best define how the federal government can support caregivers and home care,” concluded Mr. Ignatieff.
