7.1.09

DISABILITY, SENIORS/ELDERS AND ABUSE

Department of Health and Community Services exclusions, MSI, Canadian Mental Health Associations, NS College of Physicians and Surgeons, and hospital experiences, pharmaceutical damages/adverse reactions/and case worker abuse to be discussed.
Elder abuse is a very under reported occurrence be it poverty/economic abuse or physical abuse from family members.... who do the elderly report abuse issues to.....as with many people in poverty they belong to more than two categories and elderly with disabilities ranks high in most vulnerable groups of Nova Scotians. 
Have we become a nation with such a blatant disregard for those who have been here for generations? What does that say about us as a civilized specie that we can allow the elders to live in such poverty and in chronic pain..with only a hope to die soon?
This may be the fate of all people in poverty if we do hold Canadian -Nova Scotian government  and public servants responsible for creating and sustaining the shameful levels of poverty in childhood..with disabilities... to elders....
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PEOPLE FIRST of CANADA

http://www.peoplefirstofcanada.ca/index_en.php
 

A Word About Language

People First is an organization that was formed because some of the people in our communities felt that they were not considered as people first. They felt that they were talked about, talked to, thought about, and treated according to the disabilities that others labelled them with.

The founders of People First did not think this was fair. Over the years people have been called mentally handicapped, developmentally disabled, cognitively challenged, intellectually disabled, and many other labels.

In order to avoid hurting peoples' feelings and to avoid using labels when we talk about the many different members of People First, we will use the term people who have been labelled.
Board of Directors >>
Visions and Goals >>

Our Vision

Our Vision of People First is of a movement of people who want all citizens to live equally in the community.

Our Goals

The main goals of People First of Canada are to:
  • Promote equality for all people who have been labelled
  • Speak for ourselves and make our own decisions
  • Educate the community about our movement and our issues

Our Mission

People First exists to:
  • Support people who have been labelled to speak for themselves and to help each other, and
  • Help make sure that what people who have been labelled have to say is heard.

Our Roles

Some of the things that People First does:
  • Protect the voice of the people,
  • Act on what people say,
  • Identify issues about which people can speak, and
  • Bring people together so they can help each other.
People First of Canada also:
  • Supports members helping each other,
  • Creates opportunities and events for people to speak up and be heard,
  • Provides encouragement and models for action, and
  • Develops information about issues and action.


People First of Canada must be an organization directed and controlled by people who have been labelled.


How did People First get Started in Canada? >>
The Growth of People First of Canada >>
The National People First Project >>


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 Mental Health Commission

Dear Stakeholder:

Please find below the link to the Mental Health Commission of Canada's Winter 2011 newsletter. Here are some of the topics that are featured:  

·         Mental health and homelessness
·         Stigma and mental health
·         Workforce mental health
·         Mental Health and the law
·         Mental Health Strategy for Canada

  
Enjoy it and we look forward to receiving feedback.

Mental Health Commission of Canada

(French)

Cher partenaire,

Ci-dessous figure le lien vers le bulletin de la Commission de la santé mentale du Canada, numéro d'hiver 2011. Voici quelques-uns des sujets abordés :

·         La santé mentale et l'itinérance
·         La stigmatisation associée à la santé mentale
·         La santé mentale en milieu de travail
·         La santé mentale et la loi
·         La Stratégie en matière de santé mentale pour le Canada



Bonne lecture et n'hésitez pas à nous transmettre vos commentaires.

Commission de la santé mentale du Canada
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Services for Persons with Disabilities

A young man in a wheelchair
The Services for Persons with Disabilities Program serves children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities, long-term mental illness and physical disabilities in a range of community-based, residential and vocational/day programs.
These are voluntary programs designed to support people at various stages of their development and independence.

Programs and resources

Related information


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Elder News

Diageo Uses Scotch to Plug Gap in Pension Plan

By JULIA WERDIGIER
LONDON — Diageo, the maker of Johnnie Walker whiskey, found an innovative way to plug a gaping deficit in its pension plan: put aside 2 million barrels of maturing whiskey from its distilleries in Scotland.
Diageo said Thursday it would transfer ownership of £430 million, or $645 million, worth of whiskey to a pension funding partnership. Diageo employees would not receive their pensions in whiskey rather than cash, but the move does give them a guarantee that they would not walk away empty-handed should the company default.
“A pension funding partnership will be formed, which will hold maturing whiskey spirit as assets,” Diageo, which also makes Guinness stout and Smirnoff vodka, said in a statement.
As part of the deal, Diageo agreed to pay the pension partnership £25 million a year as it sells the recently distilled whiskey once it matures after three years and replaces it with new stock. The agreement would expire after 15 years, at which point Diageo would buy back the whiskey, which comes from distilleries such Oban on the west coast of Scotland.
Companies are searching for new ways to reduce their pension deficits, which increase as people live longer. The British supermarket chain J Sainsbury said earlier this year it would transfer property into a pension vehicle, while Whitbread agreed to hand over a share in its portfolio of restaurants and hotels. The investment firm Man Group moved some hedge fund assets into a trust as a security for its British pension plan in March.
“We’re seeing a huge growth in the use of non-cash funding,” Marc Hommel, leader of the pensions practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London, said. “There are big pension deficits and sponsors are cash-strapped. These mechanisms provide security for the pension plans in exchange for less cash.”
Diageo’s pension deficit was £862 million at the beginning of April. The company also said it transferred £197 million to the pension plan. Diageo expects the new pension arrangements to be “broadly cash flow neutral” and not to have any impact on the value of its net assets, it said.
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Partial Unrevised Transcript for Pension Amendment/Consideration 
presented by Chair of Common Front

-begs question about how we should measure poverty among elders/seniors in Canada?
 
We are dealing with Part 9, honourable senators. Page 502 deals with the Pension Benefits Standards Act. We are pleased to welcome from the Common Front for Retirement Security, Dan Braniff, Founder. He is attended, assisted and supported by Bernard Dussault, Technical Adviser. We also have Ross Gascho, a Partner from one of the leading law firms in Ontario, Fasken Martineau. 
 
Mr. Braniff, do you have introductory remarks? Mr. Gascho, I will call on you after those. If Mr. Dussault has anything additional, he will follow.
Mr. Braniff, please proceed.

Dan Braniff, Founder, Common Front for Retirement Security (CFRS): Thank you very much for the invitation. The Common Front for Retirement Security represents 21 organizations with a collective membership of two million members across Canada. You have a list.
We are non-partisan, subscribing to peaceful advocacy by working within the system. Our success with pension splitting demonstrated the potency of our strategy: To use reason, fairness and the power of the ballot. 
 
We are pleased with the processes that led to the recent announcements. Minister Flaherty's proposal to enhance the CPP is a progressive start for facilitating self-sufficiency for the next generation of retirees. 
 
The major concern is that retirees will outlive their income. The worry is aggravated by shrinking savings, under-performing investments and insolvent pension funds. It is nice to know we are living longer, but we are fearful of becoming wards of the state.
Transferring risk to pensioners is unfair and unwarranted. As an example, the $500 million settlement this month with the Alaska pension litigation illustrates the tremendous pressure that is on actuaries these days. 
 
There should be a moratorium on the contribution holidays while current pension deficiencies prevail. I am referring to a document I left with you from Leo Kolivakis. The 5 per cent solvency margin proposed for contribution holiday is recklessly insufficient. After taking lengthy contribution holidays, many sponsors have lapsed into systemic solvency shortfalls throughout the private sector. After the pension solvency meltdown normalizes, the CFRS supports the 25 per cent solvency recommended by the Canadian Institute of Actuaries.

FINA 48303 1420- 38 However, employers and representatives of members and retirees should negotiate individual situations based on risk. Consultations would add balance to Mr. Flaherty's similar workout scheme for distressed pensions. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. 
 
There is no logic for private sponsor plans having inferior pension security than that of the Canadian insurance industry. We agree with Mr. Kolivakis that the whole private pension system should be reviewed with the possibility of being rolled into the new public entities that we see in the shadows. 
 
The Common Front agrees with Minister Flaherty to elevate the rank of pension funds in the events of sponsored bankruptcy. Pension funds deserve a super priority over unsecured creditors.
Retirees should have sole discretion for RRIF withdrawal rates. Current RRIF rules are out of date and are excessively depleting savings. The annual mandatory minimum withdrawal serves no purpose and inhibits intelligent management of personal savings. What point is served if retirees' savings are prematurely depleted, triggering GIS and social assistance and transferring costs to the next generation? The rate of the U.S. 401K, the equivalent of our RRIF, is half the withdrawal of the Canadian system and we live 3 per cent longer.
Also, RRIF withdrawals should not factor into the Old Age Security clawback. I think that has been brought to your attention. I think you might recall Gordon Pape's testimony to the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce that RRIF savings withdrawals are not income. 
 
Mr. Dussault is an expert for any questions you might have.

Ross Gascho, Partner, Fasken Martineau: Thank you for the introduction and for the invitation to speak today. Fasken Martineau is one of Canada's largest law firms, with approximately 650 lawyers in the bulk of the provinces. We have offices in Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, as well as an office in London, England, and Paris, France. We are able to serve our clients in a variety of jurisdictions.
I have practiced exclusively in pensions and employees benefits for 20 years. 
 
With respect to the amendments to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985, I think the overall thrust of the bill takes excellent steps in the right direction, both for plan sponsors and also for plan members. It enhances protections for plan members in the form of immediate investing and requiring full funding of the plan in the event that it is partially or fully wound up. From the employer side, the bill also provides for a somewhat more flexible funding standard, in particular to deal with the investment returns and changes in interest rates that we have seen in the last number of years. 
 
Be that as it may, I would strongly say to the committee that if and when this bill is passed, you should not consider your work on pension and retirement savings to be done. In particular, the bill addresses the existing pension plans for existing plan sponsors. It does nothing to increase pension plan coverage among employers and employees. Most gravely, that problem is appearing in the private sector where in Canada, overall, private pension plan participation has dropped significantly.
With respect to the bill, there are a couple of points that I would make. The Pension Benefits

With respect to the bill, there are a couple of points that I would make. The Pension Benefits Standards Act is drafted with an eye to defined benefit plans. In that regard, it is like other pension standards statutes in Canada. The amendments to the (FINA 48303 1420- 39) act set out in Bill C-9 do not add meaningfully to how the act applies to defined contribution plans, which are increasingly particular among both employers and employees.

While I realize that it is very late in the legislative process to make c hanges of that nature, I would commend to you that the next time the bill is up for review, consideration be given to adding provisions specifically to address defined contribution plans, such as the concept of an account balance, the role of the administrator in the transmittal of a member's investment directions to the plan provider and consideration of certain default options that should be legislatively protected as they are protected in the United States.

The bill also focuses on funding. In particular, it provides for plan sponsors to use letters of credit to secure certain liabilities in certain circumstances; requires full funding in the event that a plan is wound up; and introduces a distress plan workout scheme.

The DPWS formalizes, as I believe the Minister of Finance said, the process that was used in granting special regulations for Air Canada in two situations and also for Canadian Press. I note that other provinces have made special regulations for troubled employers under their respective jurisdictions. For example, under its Pension Benefits Act, Ontario has made regulations for the former Algoma Steel, the former Stelco Inc. and recently for General Motors. While I think it is a helpful articulation of the expectations and the thresholds of an employer in order to be able to have some relief from the current funding requirement, it may go a bit overboard given that there was jurisdiction to provide the regulations for Air Canada and Canadian Press previously. The time might have been better used elsewhere, but that horse has left the barn. I leave it with you.

Finally, I would point to the investment provisions of the Pension Benefits Standards Act, which are unamended by Bill C-9. Currently, they state that the administrator shall invest the assets of a pension fund in accordance with the regulations and in a manner that a reasonable and prudent person would apply in respect of the portfolio of investments of a pension fund.

The concept of prudence is one of the foundation principles that underlie all of the PBSA. One of the curiosities that arise in Bill C-9 is that although the government has stated it will remove the qualitative limits that apply largely to pension fund investments, plan sponsors have sought vehemently the removal of the 30 per cent rule. That rule prohibits the administrator of a pension plan from investing monies that would be used to purchase more than 30 per cent of the voting securities of a corporation. In practice, the 30 per cent rule has been planned around. The most high profile example of that was the proposal from the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan to buy BCE. Other mechanisms can be used to deal with it, so I would commend to you that if we believe that the PBSA has a basis in prudence, which the language supports, the 30 per cent rule is no longer required.

The Chair: Mr. Gascho, does that 30 per cent rule fall under the rule that requires an administrator to act as a trustee?

Mr. Gascho: The rule that requires the administrator to act as a trustee concerns the administration of the plan. This rule is separate and arises in the investment of the plan. The 30 per cent rule is set out in schedule 3 to the regulations.
FINA 48303 1420- 40
The Chair: Does the fact that the administrator must act as a trustee apply with respect to the investment scheme that the administrator might follow?

Mr. Gascho: Section 8.(3) of the PBSA states that the administrator shall administer the pension plan and pension fund as a trustee. That is the administration of the fund. Section 8.(4.1) states that the administrator shall invest the assets of a pension fund in accordance with the regulations and in a manner that a reasonable and prudent person would apply in respect of a portfolio of investments of a pension plan.
The Chair: Section 8.(3) of the PBSA states that the administrator shall administer the pension plan and the pension fund as a trustee for the employer. It says "for the employer" as opposed to "for the employee."
Mr. Gascho: That would not necessarily remove them from the ambit of the 30 per cent rule, which is a concern.
The Chair: Okay. Why was that particular amendment necessary? What are we trying to achieve by this?
Mr. Gascho: That is an excellent question, but I have not sorted through what it is intended to do. Part 9 of Bill C-9 attempts to balance employer and employee interests. The change to section 8 (3) is an attempt to clarify that it is acting as trustee for the employer.
The Chair: That is helpful.

Senator Mitchell: What you are saying is indicative of our broadly based problem with changing demographics. I draw the relationship between and mention the issues that arise out of the facts that about 30 per cent of people have pensions and 70 per cent do not have pensions and that all the suggestions you are making to enhance the security of their pensions are wonderful. They are excellent but they do not address the fact that so many people will have to retire on whatever they can save. People do not understand that $1 million today invested today in Government of Canada bonds to pay out a pension down the road, It would amount to about $35,000 per year, and it would not take long to eat away the principal.

Is it 30 per cent of Canadians only who have pensions, understanding, that not all of those 30 per cent have full pensions because not all of them worked for 35 before they retired. What percentage of that 30 per cent would have defined contribution plans, which is like an RRSP? Are you aware of those figures? 
 
Mr. Braniff: The CFRS supports the idea of a universal pension plan. One of the architects for our plan is sitting beside me. Mr. Dussault was the chief actuary for the CPP so he is well qualified to answer that part of the question. We met with Senator LeBreton in early 2007 to propose this. We were ahead of the meltdown. We sensed something coming. Your numbers reveal our dilemma. That does not mean that the rest of the people do not have sufficient savings, but those savings are under attack, except perhaps for those who can withstand the brunt.

Bernard Dussault, Common Front for Retirement Security (CFRS): You are right that only 30 per cent of Canadian workers are covered by a pension plan. However, two thirds of Canadian workers reach age 65 with some coverage by a pension plan.

With respect to your second question about the level of security those people have, I can answer in the reverse by saying that Statistics Canada says that 4 per cent of (FINA 48303 1420- 41 ) Canadian seniors live in poverty. However, I do not agree with that, because a little over 35 per cent of Canadian seniors have to rely on the GIS. To me, this is a much better indication of poverty. That is the best way to answer how well the pension landscape operates in Canada
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http://dawn.thot.net/index.html

Found this great website coming out of Ontario for Women/Girls with Disabilities. You can get lost in there they have so much useful information including other relevant links for discussion, social policy/issues and legalities of women with disabilities. 
Don't forget to come back though ;)
Sadly we do not have such a great effort here in this province but feel free to explore their many links, we are sure you will find something you will find helpful for your own situation.
BRAVO to DAWN-Disables Womens Network for their strong and effective feminist initiative in addressing the multi-dynamic issues of women that are often ignored or dismissed or devalued.
The programs of DAWN Ontario have been organized through committees, projects, and task forces to advocate on behalf of Women with DisAbilities in Ontario since 1992.
DAWN Ontario is the only provincial, feminist cross-disability organization in Ontario providing leadership in advocating for Inclusion and Equality of Women with DisAbilities. (con't in link)
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PENSION SPLITTING MADE EASY

'The legislation allowing for pension income splitting was passed quietly in June of 2007. What the law allows, is for Canadians to split up to half of their pension income with a spouse or common-law partner – a move that reduces the overall tax burden. The amount is deducted by person who received it; and taxed on the personal return of the recipient spouse or partner.


Unlike previous income splitting plans (e.g. CPP), there is no need to split the income as it is received; it only needs to be reported as having been split on the respective tax returns. Let’s use the example of a couple I spoke to last week – we’ll call them Richard and Susan.
If Richard receives a company pension that he splits with his wife Susan, he doesn’t need to arrange for his pension to be paid half to himself and half to Susan. All that needs to be done is for both to make the election on CRA form T1032, on which the pension is reported 50% to Rick and 50% to Susan'. con't in link

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LIVING WITH CHRONIC PAIN?

http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20060808001
Nova Scotia claims it is one of the first provinces to move forward with an action plan that will help individuals suffering from chronic pain. 
con't in link

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October 2006

http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/documents/en/Securities-Category1-Comments/com_20100215_11-753_braniffd.pdf


RESPONSE proudly joined 21 other organizations who had been hard at work in the quest for a fair and equal tax system. We originally joined in recognizing the lack of fairness for elders and women who made choices to stay at home exempting them from any benefits in their elder years for pensions. Hoping to contribute to the eradication of poverty for elders we joined forces and so far we are being heard. Please contact your local MP on the issues of PENSION SPLITTING for all.

November is a month that we give respect to those elders and veterans that fought for many rights benefits by all. It is now time that we show them our appreciation by supporting them and encouraging them to enjoy a life of dignity and that can only be accomplished though treating elders with dignity and by way of giving them more disposable income as the live in their senior years.

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(Feb2007)

Canada is embarking on, now sit down for this, intelligent policy making.

Yes, I did say intelligent. WE are so ecstatic about being part of a great movement across Canada that has brought different organizations together for the sole purpose to give back disposable income to seniors/elders. YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT!If you are a senior or you work with seniors this will be of interest as starting in 2007 the tax structure will change for seniors.

The Pension Tension Parliament Hill chats (2006) moved with great speed to Finance Minister Flaherty who went on record for support. I will point out that local MP Peter Stoffer was one of many who signed up in support of this new tax change as we have many elders, veterans and one income families here in the EP/CB community.

Running along side this issue is that of income splitting which is basically the same although this one applies to any family, that is not impoverished, who will benefit of sharing the income at tax time for disposable income and tax breaks especially for care givers ( stay at home moms).The income splitting for families is still on the table so please contact your local MP to get the message to Parliment Hill that families in EP/ CB Nova Scotia need a break..........http://sharingincome.tripod.com/I will keep you posted on events.

All Canadians benefit from regulations that encourage investment and reward self sufficiency... a system that promotes confidence and trust. Within a healthy system, pension plans, registered savings and individual investments contribute to a vibrant economy. Next to the banks pension funds are the largest capital source for funding the Canadian economic system.
Common Front – why? 
Governments, regulators, financial institutions and media are pressing for a unified capital market system and solutions to the pension-plan solvency problem that suit them. Who is representing us, the primary stakeholders? Thanks to its impressive pension income splitting victory, the Common Front for Pension Splitting has the credibility, momentum and a proven track record to undertake an effective leadership role in promoting appropriate reforms. To undertake “Retirement Security”, a much broader endeavour would require it to re-invent itself. con't on link
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Take full advantage of plan to split income
Nov. 30, 2006. 04:45 PMJAMES DAW (Toronto Star)

Taxpayers who expect to benefit from the new opportunity to split pension income in 2007 may want to look into having less tax deducted from their income sources. The same goes for those who pay taxes by quarterly instalments. There's no point paying more tax than necessary, and then waiting for a tax refund in the spring of 2008.

Those rare seniors whose income is now high enough that they lose part, or all, of their Old Age Security benefit will not see any benefit from lowering their reported income by splitting pension income with a lower-income spouse until the following year, 2008. But financial planners are suggesting those who anticipate additional OAS income may wish to set up a plan to increase their children's inheritance before the extra income starts arriving.

The sooner any plan with life insurance is set up the better, because premiums rise with age. Whatever you do, it would be best to seek professional advice to calculate the potential benefit from pension splitting. You would not want to pay penalties for paying too little in quarterly tax instalments, or commit more money to increasing your estate than you can comfortably afford. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who was under intense lobbying from a growing group of seniors and pensioners' organizations, announced plans to allow splitting of pension income a month ago. He proposed that taxpayers be able to transfer up to half of their income from pensions and registered income plans to a resident spouse with a lower income, and thus reduce the family's total tax burden. Independent MP Garth Turner, who helped press for pension splitting while still in the Conservative caucus, notes that final details on implementation of the promise are still unknown.

The government has introduced a ways and means motion, but Canada Revenue Agency has yet to issue a bulletin. Malcolm Fletcher, a chartered accountant and financial planner with Roche Banyan in Ottawa, has made a couple of assumptions he says are supported by others. "The government used the word deduction in its background paper on pension splitting," he said in a telephone interview. That implies those who split pension income with a spouse will report a lower net income. So they will pay less federal tax, but also less provincial income taxes, since all provinces but Quebec use Ottawa's definition of net income for their taxes. Services Canada also uses net income reported on tax returns when calculating how much OAS benefit to withhold.

Those who can bring their net income below $63,500 in 2007 should thus receive more OAS income in 2008. The combination of reduced taxes and a rise in taxable OAS benefits will produce substantial savings. For example, a family would save roughly $1,625 in federal and Ontario taxes, plus about $1,000 in after-tax OAS benefits on transferring $10,000 from a spouse making $73,500 to a spouse with net income of $10,000 to $36,000. Those with a higher pension income, who represent less than 2 per cent of the population older than 65, will naturally enjoy larger savings.

Ted Rechtshaffen and Asher Tward from TriDelta Financial Partners in Toronto have calculated that a husband and wife, aged 69, who are in line for a $10,000 increase in after-tax income could, through life insurance, enlarge their after-tax estate by $600,000. "The plan would be to use the funds to purchase a particular life insurance policy, set up a certain way," says Rechtshaffen, pointing out it's a low-risk plan compared with simply investing $10,000 a year. Assuming the wife lives no longer than age 90, an investment program would have to generate an average annual return of 8 per cent after fees and taxes to produce as much money for their heirs. The returns would have to be higher if the last surviving spouse died earlier than age 90.

Each couple would have the option of tailoring their estate plan to their income needs and the level of savings available to handle emergencies or changes in income requirements without having to cash out of the insurance policy. When the government gives you a gift, be sure and take full advantage of it, say the financial advisers. No one should rush into any plan until the government has released more information, though. Surprises are always possible, particularly with a minority government in power. James Daw, CFP, appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 
~~~~~~ GOOGLE Flaherty FRONT POCKETS..' Flaherty's Secret Gift

REMEMBER that you do have voice and your voice is a vote.....it is your right.
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National Pensioners,  Senior Citizens Federation Supports Canadian Government Income Trusts Tax and Pension Income Splitting Plan

February 1, 2007The National Pensioners & Senior Citizens Federation (1,000,000 members across Canada in 450 chapters and clubs) supports the Income Trusts Tax Plan, with no increase in the grandfathering period beyond 4 years. We ask that the income tax act add new prescribed conditions to stop income trusts from reporting deceptive non-GAAP financial measures. Cash distributions must be defined as income distributions and special return of capital distributions. The cash yield calculation should be restricted, unless there is an equally prominent income yield calculation.

The National Pensioners & Senior Citizens Federations urges the Federal Government to proceed with the pension income splitting and the increase in the age credit. The National Pensioners & Senior Citizens Federation agrees that there is both short term and permanent government revenue leakage caused by conversion of corporations into income trusts. This means there will be less money available for health care and social security, that are critical to the well-being of seniors.There will not be double taxation of income trust distributions within RRSPs and RRIFs because of the generous tax benefits already in these excellent programs to encourage Canadians to save for their retirements.

At its National Conference in Truro, Nova Scotia, September 19-23, 2006: the Federation adopted the following resolution: WHEREAS: The National Pensioners & Senior Citizens Federation is very concerned about pensioners and senior citizens suffering billions of dollars in losses in their retirement accounts due to unsuitable investments and questionable investment products being sold to them on the basis of inaccurate or misleading marketing information we conclude that our members' interests are not being protected by current self-regulatory and provincial regulatory authorities governing securities and existing accounting and auditing standards.

The federal government should not be giving tax incentives for seniors to purchase an investment that is risky and does not have a proper investor protection regime in place. While seniors need income and may be dissatisfied with the low yields in the marketplace, the income trust product is not providing much higher income yields than the alternatives. The income trust and financial industry say there are high cash yields due to the income trusts not paying any business taxes. But, the cash yield goes beyond the lift from no business taxes and provides a return of capital.

The sources of extra distributions are borrowed money, reserves from prior financings and not retaining cash to replace plant, machinery, equipment and software. This imposes excessive risk for seniors, seeking secure retirement income and preservation of their capital. All too frequently, future distribution cuts cause catastrophic losses for seniors.The NPSCF recognizes that the Canadian government cannot make tax policy to sustain market prices that have been inflated by improper financial reporting, where seniors and other unsophisticated investors were not properly advised.

For a properly diversified portfolio with less than 20% invested in income trusts, the damage of the new tax is about 2%. Sophisticated owners of income trusts will use the 6% or so rally from an announced extension of the grandfathering period to dump their positions onto new seniors and other unsophisticated retail investors. From its formation, over 50 years ago, the National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation has fought for Universal Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan. Over the years, it has consistently sought to achieve and maintain a decent standard of living of seniors and to provide them dignity in their latter years. The new income trusts tax, pension income splitting and increased age credit plan are on balance very positive for the retirement security of seniors.

Next, the Federal and Provincial Governments need to make progress on reform of Canada's system for investor protection. The NPSCF wants the Federal Government to create two new bodies - a national investor protection agency and an independent accounting standards board. Every other industrialized country of the world has such bodies for the protection of its citizens and foreign investors. We have tried fragmented provincial regulation and self-regulation, where the setting of accounting standards and most investor protection are delegated to industry.

The current system is failing seniors and individual Canadians saving for their own retirements. For additional information:National Pensioners & Senior Citizens Federation
E-mail: field1©sympatico.ca E-mail: urquhart©rogers.com
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Clawbacks, taxes hurt modest income earners, experts say

BRUCE CHEADLE The Canadian Press OTTAWA —

At age 63 and facing a very modest retirement income, Greta Doucet is cashing out what’s left of her meager nest-egg as fast as she can. "I have a little bit left, but if you don’t have a fairly large amount, you’re just shooting yourself in the foot," said the part-time nurse and seniors advocate from New Brunswick. "You don’t have enough to get yourself anywhere." Converting her last $15,000 in RRSPs into cash and pumping the money into the mortgage of her Moncton home may sound like financial heresy in this season of wall-to-wall investment ads, when Canadians are being implored by financial institutions to max out their registered retirement savings. But Doucet is simply following the best advice of experts who fully understand Canada’s complex public pension system. For modest income Canadians approaching retirement, RRSPs mainly benefit governments that claw back and tax their returns almost dollar-for-dollar after retirement.

"There are lambs off to slaughter as we speak," Richard Shillington, a freelance statistician, consultant and author from Ottawa says of the annual RRSP buying spree. "The retirement planning that you’re likely to get from the person in the cubicle at your bank, or from reading those articles about people who have incomes of $200,000, is wrong if you’re among the half of us who don’t have a pension plan. "And nobody’s going to tell you."

Shillington has been banging this drum since 1999, when he first laid out the huge tax hit on retirement savings in a study for the C.D. Howe Institute. Looking at Statistics Canada data, he found that low-income retirees had squirreled away about $12 billion in RRSPs and $5 billion in registered retirement income funds (RRIFs). "The greatest impact of these funds is to reduce the cost of government programs, rather than to improve seniors’ standard of living," Shillington wrote. Here’s how it works. Low-income Canadians — say, below $30,000 annually — get a relatively modest tax break on their initial RRSP purchase because of their low income tax bracket. When they go to cash in after retirement, their RRSP income counts against their Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), which is clawed back 50 cents for every dollar of retirement income. The pension income is also taxed, meaning the senior sees only 25 cents of each dollar saved. Not only that, but many seniors programs — think meals on wheels, subsidized retirement homes, prescription drugs and home care — may also be income-based, depending on the province.

So the effective tax rate on RRSP income in some cases is more than 100 per cent, says Shillington. And while low-income people get the worst deal, Shillington argues that even middle income Canadians who don’t have a company pension plan may hold what he calls "futile savings." "What I’ve said to people is, if you don’t have an employer pension plan then you want to have more than $100,000 in your RRSP at retirement — or nothing. The worst thing you could have is $30,000 in your RRSP." Some 38 per cent of seniors — about 1.5 million — qualify for the GIS at retirement. Those who hold less than $100,000 in RRSPs are saving for the public treasury as much as for themselves. Shillington has called the current RRSP mantra fraudulent. "I will defend the use of the word fraud," says Shillington, who does not sell financial services or advice but has a website and hopes to publish a book this spring entitled Retirement

Planning for the Rest of Us geared to low-income households. "People are being encouraged to save money in an RRSP on the belief that they will benefit from it at retirement. The government knows that for many of them, that’s not true."
The Conservatives under Stephen Harper said as much in their 2004 election platform, when the party pitched a new registered lifetime savings plan that would be tax-free upon withdrawal. "When retirees withdraw their RRSPs," said the 2004 Tory platform, "they not only pay tax, but often have significant portions of their old age security benefits clawed back.

The RLSP would particularly benefit low- and middle-income Canadians." The savings plan promise was dropped from the party’s 2006 election platform. Officials in two federal government departments, Finance and Human Resources and Social Development, would not comment on whether the policy issue is still actively being considered. Shillington uses the example of a 50-year-old earning $25,000 a year with no savings. By common financial industry calculations, he’ll need 70 per cent of that income in retirement, or $17,000 annually. Using simple RRSP calculators offered on banking websites, the individual might be told he needs to save up to $392,000 over the next 15 years.

"In fact, that person has to save almost nothing to get a $17,000-a-year income at retirement, because OAS (Old Age Security), GIS and CPP just about gets them there," said Shillington. "It’s just basically wrong." Malcolm Hamilton, an actuary with Mercer Human Resource Consulting in Toronto, is one of Canada’s leading pension experts.

He believes governments have done a poor job of setting retirement policy for the poorest and the wealthiest Canadians. The difference is that wealthy people can pay advisors to help arrange their retirement finances. "The way they’ve designed the system it doesn’t pay low-income people to use RRSPs," Hamiltion said in an interview."The rational thing to do is to yank the money in its entirety before 65. You don’t need to spend it, but you do need to get it out of the tax shelter before the clawbacks kick in." Even after taking the tax hit from cashing out RRSPs, people are further ahead, especially if they use the funds to pay off credit cards or mortgages.
David Perry of the Canadian Tax Foundation, an independent public policy research forum, joked in an interview that given the tax hit and clawbacks, low-income Canadians approaching retirement would be better off buying a case of beer than an RRSP. "Better to invest in something that you or your soul needs in retirement," said Perry, turning serious. "Why not take that trip home to England or Latvia or China?" Shillington says he’s been accused of advising people to "scam" the system. But when wealthy people arrange their finances to minimize their tax load and maximize tax breaks, it is considered sound financial management. Hamilton agrees.

"You really need to tell low-income people how to protect themselves from their government, so I don’t see the moral qualm here," said the actuary. For Greta Doucet, she’s just making the best of a poor retirement income situation after a career spent raising three kids, working part-time and being active in the community while nursing two failed relationships. "I guess it’s just admitting that I didn’t really take good care of myself, which I suppose a lot of 60-year-old women didn’t do," she said with good-natured charm.

"To get my house in order and keep my house as long as I can, that’s the goal I’m aiming for. The RRSPs are gone." ’People are being encouraged to save money in an RRSP on the belief that they will benefit from it at retirement. The government knows that for many of them, that’s not true.’
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HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!!
Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 10:00 AMSubject: Re: 2-2-07
No income splitting for families in next budget: 
At a very well attended Constituency meeting in Whitby last evening, Mr Flaherty stated unequivocally that Pension Splitting has been passed through the Ways and Means motion and will be implemented in this tax year. He said that the reports about general income splitting were just part of the 'rumour mill', prevalent in Ottawa at this time of the year.
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Report forms for adverse reaction pharmaceutical reporting
If you are currently suffering from a side effect -- also known as an adverse reaction -- you should contact your health care provider, your local health authority, or your provincial Next link will take you to another Web site  

Who can report?

Manufacturers, professionals, and consumers can report adverse reactions to Health Canada and its partners using the programs listed below. Depending on the product, reporting is either voluntary or mandatory.


Manufacturers, professionals, and consumers can report adverse reactions to Health Canada and its partners using the programs listed below. Depending on the product, reporting is either voluntary or mandatory.
Clinical Trials
Marketed Products

Clinical Trials

Biological Drugs, Pharmaceutical Drugs, and Radiopharmaceuticals

Trial sponsors, also known as applicants, must report to Health Canada any serious and unexpected adverse drug reaction (ADR) that occurred inside and outside Canada while the drug (includes biological drugs) is in clinical trials in Canada. For further information follow the instructions for the Clinical Trials - Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Reporting.
Examples: preventative and therapeutic vaccines, hormones used as therapeutic and diagnostic agents, enzyme replacement therapies, insulin, recombinant products such as monoclonal antibodies, genetic therapies and recombinant DNA products.
Radiopharmaceuticals include drugs either of chemical or biological origin which are intentionally made radioactive for the purpose of diagnosing illness, as well as kits that are used for the preparation of radiopharmaceutical and radionuclide generators. Radiopharmaceuticals are used as diagnostic or therapeutic agents and are always prepared and administered by health care professionals; they are never self-administered.

Natural Health Products

The sponsor is required to report to Natural Health Products Directorate Clinical Trial Unit any serious unexpected adverse reactions to the natural health product (NHP) that has occurred inside or outside Canada. For further information regarding when and how an Adverse Reaction report must be filed, see the Clinical Trials for Natural Health Products Guidance Document.
Examples of natural health products are vitamins, minerals, herbal products, homeopathic medicines.

Marketed Products

Blood and Blood Components

Blood and blood components that consist of whole blood or are derived from whole blood through a separation process which have not undergone secondary manufacturing and have no Drug Identification Number (DIN) can be reported locally to the Next link will take you to another Web site Canadian Blood Services or Next link will take you to another Web site Héma-Québec who must report them to Health Canada. These may also be reported to the Next link will take you to another Web site Provincial/Territorial Blood Coordinating Offices.
Examples of blood and blood components include cryoprecipitate, plasma, platelets, red blood cells and whole blood.

Blood - Recombinant and Fractionated Blood Products

You can report suspected adverse reactions to recombinant and fractionated blood products which have undergone a manufacturing process and that have a Drug Identification Number (DIN) to the Canada Vigilance Program through the MedEffect Canada section of the Health Canada Web site. Follow the instructions for reporting adverse reactions. These may also be reported to the Next link will take you to another Web site Provincial/Territorial Blood Coordinating Office.
Examples of recombinant and fractionated blood products include albumin, plasma derived clotting factors and immune globulins.

Cells, Tissues, and Organs

Suspected adverse reactions following transplantation of cells, tissues or organs, including those involving the transmission of an infectious disease or disease agent can be reported to the Canada Vigilance Program. Follow the instructions for reporting adverse reactions provided in the MedEffect Canada section of the Health Canada Web site.
Examples of cells, tissues, and organs include organs for transplantation, ocular tissue, islet and lymphohematopoietic cells that are minimally manipulated.

Consumer Products

To report a product-related injury or death, or a safety-related issue with a consumer product, you are encouraged to report the incident directly to Health Canada by completing the Consumer Product Incident Report Form. 
Examples of consumer products include electronics, baby walkers, clothing, toys, children's furniture, small appliances, house wares, household chemicals, bicycles, playground equipment, pools, skates, scooters, hockey helmets, hot tubs, and tents. Adverse reactions related to cell phones should be reported to Industry Canada.

Cosmetics

Cosmetics are defined as any substance or mixture of substances, manufactured, sold or represented for use in cleansing, improving or altering the complexion, skin, hair, or teeth and includes deodorants and perfumes.
This definition also includes cosmetics used by professional aesthetic services, and bulk institutional products (such as hand soap in school rest rooms).
For a product-related injury or death, or a safety-related issue with a cosmetic or a personal care product, you are encouraged to report the incident directly to Health Canada by completing the Consumer Product Incident Report Form.
Examples of cosmetics products include: shampoo, tooth whiteners, shaving cream, lipstick, hair dyes and tints, depilatories, soaps, moisturizers, nail polish and removers, and self-tanning products.

Drugs for Humans

Suspected adverse reactions to drugs marketed in Canada, including prescription and non-prescription drugs can be reported to the Canada Vigilance Program. Follow the instructions for reporting adverse reactions provided in the MedEffect Canada section of the Health Canada Web site.
Examples of prescription and non-prescription medicines (over-the-counter) include: pharmaceuticals, biologics (such as insulin and vaccines used in the treatment or diagnosis of disease), radiopharmaceuticals, disinfectants and sanitizers with disinfectant claims.

Drugs Used in Animals

Report suspected adverse reactions to drugs used in animals - including a lack of effect - through the Adverse Drug Reactions (Pharmacovigilance) Web site. You will also find safety information such as advisories, warnings, and recalls for veterinary products on the Veterinary Drugs Directorate section of the Health Canada Web site.
Examples of drugs used in animals include prescription and non-prescription medicines (over-the-counter) such as analgesics, antibiotics, antiparasitics, and growth promotants.

Food

Adverse reactions to food products experienced by consumers or reported to industry should be reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. You can use the Next link will take you to another Web site Recall Contact List for Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Notification to find local phone numbers.
Examples of food include dairy, egg, egg products, fish, seafood, honey, fresh/processed fruits and vegetables, organic products, meat and poultry, and retail food.

Medical Devices

Medical device users are encouraged to report device-related incidents directly to Health Canada by completing a Medical Device Problem Report. Completed problem reports and general inquiries are to be directed to the Operational Centre of the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate in your area.
Examples of medical devices include defibrillators, syringes, surgical lasers, hip implants, medical laboratory diagnostic instruments (including X-ray, ultrasound devices), contact lenses, and condoms.
Adverse reactions and incidents relating to radiation emitting medical devices can also voluntarily be reported to the Radiation Emitting Devices Program.

Natural Health Products for Humans

Suspected adverse reactions to natural health products marketed in Canada, such as herbal products, natural remedies and homeopathic medicines, can be reported to the Canada Vigilance Program provided in the MedEffect Canada section of the Health Canada Web site. Follow the instructions for reporting adverse reactions.
Examples of natural health products include vitamins, minerals, traditional medicines such as traditional Chinese medicines, probiotics, and other products like amino acids and essential fatty acids.

Pesticides

Report any incident related to a pesticide, whether it involves adverse effects on a human, an animal, or the environment, to the manufacturer using the contact information available on the pesticide label. Manufacturers are required by law to report to Health Canada any incident information they receive related to their product.
You may also report an incident directly to Health Canada by using the appropriate Pesticide Incident Reporting Form for the Public available on the Next link will take you to another Web site Pesticide Incident Reporting page.
Examples of pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and various other substances (or mix of substances) used to control pests, such as insects, fungus, weeds, animal or bacterial organisms.

Radiation-Emitting Devices

Report an adverse reaction or an incident related to a radiation-emitting device to the Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau.
Examples of radiation-emitting devices include ultrasound equipment, X-ray devices, microwave ovens, tanning equipment, or lasers.
For radiation-emitting devices used to diagnose or treat a medical condition, adverse reactions and injuries are subject to mandatory reporting to the Medical Devices Program and may be voluntarily reported to this program.

Semen - Assisted Conception

Physicians who have performed inseminations are to report suspected transmissions of an infectious agent by donor semen to the semen processor. The semen processor is then responsible for reporting these suspected transmissions, to the Minister of Health, by sending a copy of the report to the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate.
This only applies to donor semen that is used or intended for use in assisted conception.

Vaccines to Prevent Disease in Humans

Health care professionals are encouraged to report any adverse reactions following immunization to their local health unit. The Next link will take you to another Web site Adverse Events Following Immunization Form can be downloaded from the Public Health Agency of Canada Web site where you will find options for submitting the form. Patients are encouraged to report adverse events to their vaccine provider or other health care professional.
Examples of preventative vaccines include vaccines against polio, measles, and rubella (German measles).

Veterinary Biologics

The Next link will take you to another Web site Veterinary Biologics Section (VBS) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) should be notified of suspected adverse reactions to veterinary biologics. Veterinary biologics include the following classes of products: vaccines against viral, bacterial, protozoan and fungal diseases, antibody products for the prevention or treatment of infectious diseases in animals and vitro diagnostic kits, including those derived through biotechnology.
Examples of veterinary biologics products include rabies, canine distemper, or equine West Nile vaccines. The Next link will take you to another Web site Guidelines for Reporting Suspected Adverse Events to the Veterinary Biologics Section (VBS) provide more information. The recommended form used to notify VBS of suspected adverse reactions is available for downloading from the Guidance for Reporting Suspected Adverse Events Web site.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/reaction-eng.php
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Regional Adverse Reaction Centre
toll free-1.866.234.2345
If your file is anything like mine and cannot fit into the data form on the web site or if you do not have access to this form on the website : drop of your grievance at Maritime Mall on Barrington Street Halifax-or mail to:

Canadian Adverse Reations Atlantic Region
1505 Barrington Street, suite 1625, 
Halifax Maritime Mall
B3J3H6

other related websites are:

Canadians Women's Health Network: www.cwhn.ca
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http://mentalhealth.about.com/b/a/020928.htm?nl=1

This is a mental wellness link that I find has great reads on so many issues to do with wellness and maintaining healthier days.

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                               Highlights from the PENSION TENSION CONFERENCE in OTTAWA
October 5 2006. ( submitted via email)

On October 3rd CARP, Canada’s Association for the Fifty Plus along with 16 seniors and pensioner organizations took over the largest and most palatial Committee Room in the West Block of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.


Dan Braniff, Chair of Georgian Bay Chapter, CARP co-chaired the Conference along with Hon Garth Turner, maverick Halton MP. The impressive event unfolded without a hitch thanks to the careful planning and choreographing by the multi-group committee formed last June. Forty-eight delegates from 15 of common-front organizations made up about half of the audience. More than thirty MPs from across the party spectrum attended. “There would have been many more if Tuesday had not been such a busy day on the Hill”, said Garth Turner.


Dr. Jack Mintz, Professor of Business Economics, University of Toronto (formerly CEO CD Howe Institute) compared Canada’s tax treatment of seniors with that of other countries, notably Germany, France and United States. He concluded that pension splitting is justified if Canada wants to maintain a system that is comparably fair and reasonable for all citizens. Dr. Mintz, advisor to previous Finance Ministers, provided ideas he would contemplate if wearing Hon James Flaherty’ hat.


Malcolm Hamilton, Worldwide Partner, William Mercer, consultant to major pension plans across Canada presented an utmost objective overview of the issue. He concluded that pension splitting for seniors would bring the tax system into better balance. He said that splitting for seniors is justified and that it does not disfavor any other group of taxpayers. He pointed out that most retired seniors had little opportunity during their working years to adjust their incomes to accommodate splitting advantages that is now available to younger generations


Bruce Price, Chartered Accountant, Owen Sound demonstrated how ordinary senior couples struggle with the tax penalty using example from his files. Beverley Smith, Calgary researcher, author and activist for family issues insisted that splitting pension income was long overdue and that it was all about recognizing that senior couples deserved to be treated as one tax unit.


Asked how he thought it went, Braniff was ecstatic. “Our keynote speakers and panel were perfect! They were impartial, convincing and credible! Hon Garth Turner was a masterful in his roles as host commentator and moderator of the panel discussions. Despite three hours of sometimes complex dialogue the audience hardly moved a muscle except for MPs rushing in and out to attend the nation’s business. There were discussions concerning methods of implementation, but no one challenged the principle of legislating pension splitting for senior Canadian couples.”


“We met all our objectives. Both Government and opposition understand our issue. The media reports were all favorable; and the 17 organizations representing 2.3 million seasoned Canadians are all fired up to take the next steps. Most important is our fall 2006 dialogue through our 6 separate briefs to the Finance Committee that we hope will bring Hon Jim Flaherty into a face-face discussion. We want him to introduce pension splitting into his 2007 Budget.


In the meantime we plan to martial our 2.3 million members into grass-roots action at the constituency level. They are the infantry of the common front. Many are plugged into the political process at all levels in all parties. They appreciate and understand the democratic process. Historically, 80% show up at the polls.

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This free Internet newsletter is presented courtesy of
Beverley Smith of Canada .....


Date October 8 2006 - Happy Thanksgiving in Canada!

October 1 – International Day of Older Persons. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the UN has called on governments, the private sector, civil society organizations and all people to ensure that provisions of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing are pursued and that the elderly have enriching, rewarding and fulfilling lives. This plan of action included:

-eradication of poverty among older persons
-solidarity between generations at all levels
-ensuring that all persons have adequate economic and social protection during old age observing that “Persons who survive a lifetime of poverty often face an old age of deepening poverty”
-eliminating gender inequality in the social security system
-improvements in social security measures for women and elimination of the ‘feminization of poverty’, observing that currently “female heads of households in particular are at risk of poverty’
October 3 a pension conference was held in Ottawa to discuss the long-term penalty in Canadian tax law for those who have a spouse at home and without income for some period in order to provide care of children. The conference dubbed “Pension Tension” brought together 16 pension rights groups and was organized under the auspices of Dan Braniff of the Canada’s Association for the Fifty Plus and Bernard Dussault of the Federal Superannuates National Association. Other groups represented, totaling 2 million members, included Air Canada Pionairs, Alliance of Seniors, Allstream Retirees, Bell Pensioners’ Group, Canadian Activists for Pension Splitting, Canadian Assoc of Retired Teachers, CBC Pensioners National Association, Communication Technologies Credit Union, General Motors Salaried Retirees Association, Police Retirees of Ontario, Retired Teachers of Ontario and SenTax. Over 30 MPs from all parties attended. The event was so successful that Status of Women Canada has requested meeting with the groups to discuss how rights of women in the home are impacted by the pension suggestion.

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Consultations on Unpaid Caregivers in Canada
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, June 20, 2005 — Social Development Canada is today hosting the fifth in a series of consultation roundtables that are being held across Canada . Key stakeholders and members of caregiving communities from British Columbia and Yukon will take part in today’s consultations in Vancouver , which will focus on unpaid caregiving for seniors and persons with disabilities.
“The Government of Canada recognizes the vital contributions unpaid caregivers are making to Canadian society...con't on link......

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An Australian story with too many similarities to Nova Scotia......

Elderly people die alone and unnoticed in Australia
By Tania Kent4 May 2006

Between mid February and early March seven decomposed bodies of elderly people were found in New South Wales, the most populous state of Australia. Five were discovered in just ten days. That frail and vulnerable members of society could literally rot to death without being noticed, in some cases for up to eight months, has provoked a deep sense of shock among ordinary people.


The tragedies were reported in the national media, and radio talk back shows were dominated with debates on the gruesome findings. It was not long, however, before the media buried the issue.

Government officials and charity groups immediately blamed the communities where the seven had lived. The events arose from “a lack of sense of community” and the reluctance of neighbours to “look out for each other”. Even if that were true, what has never been probed is what the deaths reveal about the social relations that have led to such an atomised state of affairs.


Little information has been reported about the circumstances that led to the deaths and even less appears to be known about the lives of the individuals involved. This itself points to the growth of marginalized, alienated and neglected layers of society whose needs, concerns and plight are ignored and regarded as insignificant.

The case of an elderly man found dead in a unit in the inner-Sydney suburb of Surry Hills, who may have died more than six months earlier, epitomised this state of affairs. He lived in the 600-unit Northcott complex, the largest public housing estate in the southern hemisphere. Thousands of tenants are crammed into maze-like accommodation, often poorly maintained and run down. The possibility that one’s existence could go unnoticed, given the lack of any social network systems to monitor health and well-being, was all too evident.


Days earlier, the badly decomposed body of an elderly woman was found in her home in Umina, on the NSW central coast. Her death was discovered after postal workers became concerned that she had not collected her mail since October.


In the same week, a retired couple in their 80s was found dead in their unit in the wealthy suburb of Neutral Bay on Sydney’s north shore. They had taken an overdose of pills. The man, 82, had been ill for some time and his wife, 78, had also been unwell.


The body of a 64-year-old man, believed to have been dead for eight months, was found the same week in a unit in Sydney’s inner city suburb Waterloo. He also lived in high-rise public housing accommodation. An 86-year-old woman was found dead in her home at Gordon, on Sydney’s north shore, in March and it is believed that she had died some months earlier.


Another tragic case made national news last December. A 94-year-old disabled woman and her 61-year-old son died in a house at Rooty Hill, in Sydney’s western suburbs. Their bodies were not discovered for over a month. The son, who was the full-time carer of his chronically ill mother, slipped in the bath while having a shower, knocked himself unconscious and died. His mother, unable to reach a telephone, starved to death.


The case provoked much anger and outrage in the community as it brought to light the total dependency of tens of thousands of elderly and disabled people on support from family members, because of the deterioration of the health and welfare system.


In response to these tragedies, the only measure the state Labor government could propose was a review of procedures for checking on public housing tenants. Yet Housing Minister Cherie Burton immediately deemed even this meagre proposal to be unworkable and ineffective. She claimed that with 200,000 public housing residents, checks could be implemented only twice a year at best.


Burton insisted that individuals should take responsibility for the health and safety of the elderly: “No amount of government checking or department of housing checking can replace neighbours knowing each other and knowing each others’ routines.”


As a matter of fact, every single dead body was eventually discovered by concerned neighbours or, in one case, postal workers. Not one was found by a government or health agency. That disabled, elderly and ill citizens can be neglected for years and that no welfare network exists for ensuring their well being is indicative of a deeply diseased social order.

Once it becomes impossible to squeeze profit out of the labour of working people, they are routinely discarded by officialdom and regarded as a burden on society. Welfare and community support for the elderly comes almost exclusively from charitable agencies, which are poorly funded and often rely on volunteers.


Limited government schemes, such as “home help” and “staying at home” programs, are usually not widely publicized. It is up to individuals to approach such agencies, and waiting lists can be long. Often it is only those who have forceful and insistent family members who end up accessing these services.


Sons and daughters and other family members of the elderly are increasingly unable to afford the money or time to care for them. They are likely to be working long hours, juggling odd shifts or employed in insecure jobs, and struggling to make ends meet with low wages, high mortgage and credit card debts, exorbitant child care and medical expenses and rising petrol and other prices. These pressures are felt most heavily in Sydney, where housing and other living costs are higher than in other parts of the country.


The wealthy aged may have private medical cover, hired home assistance and access to recreational and sporting activities. Many poorer pensioners however, are forced to live an isolated and impoverished existence. Seventy six percent of people over the age of 75 rely on a government pension. A single person receives just over $200 a week, an amount that makes it impossible to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.


Those seeking nursing home or hostel accommodation face a chronic shortage of places, long waiting lists and huge fees. Both low care and extensive care nursing homes demand bonds to guarantee a place. In 2005, the average bond was $127,000—a fourfold increase since 1995. Basic nursing home accommodation costs more than $10,000 a year for full pensioners.


With most nursing homes run by the private sector, care for the elderly, like all other social facilities, has become a profitable big business. The total value of bonds alone, usually financed through the sale or mortgaging of the residents’ previous homes, is $3.5 billion.


These developments are part of a wholesale government shift away from elementary social welfare in every sphere—from child care to aged care. In the name of “individual responsibility”, the burden of essential services is being imposed on ordinary working people, while boosting the profits of private providers and cutting taxes for the benefit of the wealthy and big business.


The “lack of sense of community” is a product of the alienation and social dislocation created by consistent budget and welfare cuts over the past two decades by both Labor and Liberal governments.


The lonely deaths and other tragic consequences can be averted only by reorganising society on the basis of human need, not private profit. Billions of dollars must be made available for high-quality social facilities and services for the elderly. The below poverty-level pensions must be lifted to allow for a decent standard of living.


The frail elderly must not be forced to sell their homes and limited assets for nursing home accommodation. Massive funds must be injected into housing, medical and recreational facilities to enable all retired people to participate in life to the fullest extent possible. Senior citizens must have the fundamental right to access all the amenities necessary to live in dignity and security.
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http://www.cnpea.ca/

Canada joins global declaration to 
eradicate abuse against elders...
June 15, 2006 is the inauguration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Canada is proud to be part of the global effort to raise awareness of this important issue. Materials include Canadian logo, posters, and public education kit materials.
Canada Plans For World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Find out what is happening in communities across Canada.

The Nova Scotia Seniors’ Secretariat is planning an awareness campaign for 2006, including celebrating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15 and supporting Nova Scotia communities to do the same.

The Secretariat is also:
· developing a website with information and links on abuse of older adults
· exploring the development of networks as a mechanism for increasing awareness and responding to senior abuse at the community level.
Click here for the Nova Scotia abuse awareness poster and brochure.
Click here for community ideas to raise awareness. PDF
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Here is a great website for too many topics to list from theories of behaviour to techniques in coping with stress. It is very informative and we are confident that you will find many readings/articles relevant to your daily lives.

Just do not forget to come back ;)

http://www.changingminds.org/index.htm
http://www.changingminds.org/explanations/behaviors/coping/coping.htm
Here is an example of a reading on stress....

Stress Management

Stress is something that affects us all. If we can learn to recognize it, then we can learn to manage it. Management of stress often seeks to reduce it in ourselves, friends and clients. It also can be a tool for motivation and persuasion, as increasing tension also increase the desire to reduce it. It thus be used, with care, to effectively move both ourselves and others.

The effects of stress

The effects of stress on us are physical, cognitive and behavioral. Gaining a good understanding of these things will place you well over half-way towards being able to manage them.
Stress affects our bodies and thoughts and can eventually kill us. It triggers primitive reactionscope with it in ways that are often dysfunctional. and we


Another great read on emotional stress.....
http://www.submityourarticle.com/articles/Trevor-Dumbleton-406/stress-2645.php
One very difficult form of stress to cope with and manage is emotional stress. After all, it is often self-created, it can come out of nowhere and the stress caused by it only heightens the emotions felt. Thus, as the emotional stress increases, the emotions get worse, heightening the emotional stress. Thus, the problem recreates the cause and the problem only gets worse. con't in link


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