Candidates for New Brunswick’s Sept. 22 elections engaged in a discussion earlier this month about how they will address issues related to the province’s growing seniors’ population. By 2020, New Brunswickers will be, on average, five years older than the Canadian average.
Grassroots Collaborative Hosts Political Parties’ Forum on Healthy Aging and Care
Creating a new culture of aging in New Brunswick has to be a collective effort, collaborative recognizes
- Michelle Strutzenberger

A Sept. 9 political parties’ forum on the topic of healthy aging and care in New Brunswick is another demonstration that a grassroots effort “gets it.” Neither government nor the “citizenry” is capable of achieving the degree of change the province requires in the coming years alone — the work has to be a collective effort.

 
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  The Sept. 9 Political Parties’ Forum on Healthy Aging and Care in New Brunswick. Pictured above, left to right: Jodi Hall, chair of the Collaborative for Healthy Aging and Care; Sue Stultz of the PC party; Merily Merritt-Gray of the Green Party; Victor Boudreau of the Liberal party; Joyce Wright of the People’s Alliance; Charles Doucet for NDP; Suzanne Dupuis-Blanchard, forum Moderator and professor at Moncton University.

The forum was organized by the Healthy Aging and Care Collaborative, a group of about 30 organizations that have come together over the last few years to create a new and positive culture of aging in the province. Business consultant and facilitator Charles Holmes played a pivotal role in a public summit that led to the formation of the collaborative.

While the collaborative is undertaking a variety of activities on its own, including some “instant, on-the-ground” projects, such as a new transportation opportunity for rural seniors of Gagetown, it also sees the importance of working with government to effect change.

About 200 people attended the forum, which convened the five party leaders.

Leaders were asked to answer: How do you see an aging population as an opportunity that New Brunswick can capitalize on rather than a negative event?

They were also asked how they would support person-centred, rather than program-centred, care of seniors.

The New Brunswick elections take place Sept. 22.

To watch a recording of the forum, click here.

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A version of this article was originally written for the Charles Holmes Consulting news service. This repost, for which we received permission, follows the style guidelines of the original post. To learn more about generative newsroom options for your organization or community, please contact peter(at)axiomnews.com.