October 19, 2022

Cities play a large role in making communities healthy for older Ontarians. They deliver and contribute to services that keep older adults in their homes. Those same policies and services create healthy communities for everyone. Here are some of the concerns of older Ontarians along with some questions to candidates.

Older adults want to remain in their homes, but sometimes they need help.

People want to be asked, not told.

We know that older adults prefer to remain in their own homes and communities, but they sometimes also need help. This help can mean health services, home maintenance, or support for daily tasks – services often provided by municipalities. We ask candidates:

• Which home and community services will you protect? Which services will you expand? Which new ones will you establish? Which are your highest priorities?
• What will you do to protect services delivered by non-profit community organizations?

Home and community care workers are in short supply. They are paid less than anyone else working in health care. Their jobs are often unpredictable and without benefits. To attract them and keep them, we have to treat them and pay them as they deserve. We ask candidates:

• How will you insist that home and community care workers earn as much as those working in hospitals and long-term care?

Ontario’s housing costs are among the highest in Canada. Municipal governments determine zoning laws and types, locations, and amounts of units in their communities. They also help provide affordable housing. We ask candidates:

• What will you do to see that your city council provides affordable, accessible housing for older adults?
• How will you require builders to include affordable, accessible housing in their development plans?

Living independently depends on getting where you need to go – to appointments, to buy groceries, to visit with friends, to participate in activities, and to contribute to others. When leaving home is too difficult, isolation and deterioration are the results. We ask candidates:

• How will your municipality plan for accessible and affordable transportation? How will you make these services affordable for everyone who needs them?

People want to be asked, not told. Studies and reports go only so far. Services need the input of the people who will use them. We ask candidates:

• How will you ask older Ontarians what they want and need? How will you use what they tell you?

What can you do?

• Think about your questions. What do you need to know? How can you find out?
• Get ready to vote. You can find more information from Settlement.Org’s “Guide to Voting in your Municipal Election“
• Check our website for some information about the elections and for what candidates have been telling us.

Ask, think, and then vote!