By The Canadian Press

Flexibility, government co-operation key to helping seniors: ministers

Sep 14, 2016 | 5:23 AM

VANCOUVER — Ministers responsible for Canada’s seniors say flexibility and co-operation are needed to help meet the challenges brought on by an aging population.

The federal, provincial and territorial politicians met in Vancouver on Tuesday, where they discussed issues facing seniors such as caregivers, affordable housing and health care.

British Columbia’s Health Minister Terry Lake said a large part of their meetings focused on how to support older employees if they decide to continue working past the age of 65.

The federal Liberal Party promised in this year’s budget to restore the eligible age for old age security to 65 after the previous Conservative government bumped the limit to 67.

But keeping some seniors in the workforce past 65 is key, Lake said.

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“We would lose their experience, their knowledge and their capacity to continue working. So we need to encourage employers to consider older workers and the needs of older workers,” he said.

Employers, including governments, may need to provide more flexible schedules or accommodate other needs seniors have, Lake said.

Many people can — and want to — work past the standard age of retirement, he added.

“The reality is that a 65-year-old person today is quite different than a 65-year-old person 30 years ago. As I approach my 60th year, it doesn’t seem that old anymore. It used to seem very old,” he said with a smile.

The ministers also spoke about how to promote the social inclusion of seniors, and how to prepare and support those who care for them.

Providing older Canadians with the supports they need will require co-operation between all levels of government, said federal Families Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.

“The Canadian government believes that Canada is at its best when all citizens, including older Canadians, have the opportunity to reach their full potential,” he said.

Duclos added that the government hopes to announce the previously promised seniors price index soon. The measure will examine the cost of living for seniors and will be used to determine old age security and guaranteed income supplement payments.

“We’re working very hard with Statistics Canada to identify both the precision and the timeliness that are open to us,” Duclos said. “We’d like to have as precise a measure as quickly as possible, but those are competing objectives. We’d like to say something more quite soon, but not yet.”

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press