BC Minister Promotes Dementia Strategy and Budget Benefits For Seniors

Mar 27, 2019 | 5:00 PM

One of the Trudeau government’s BC cabinet ministers is making stops in the Interior, promoting the benefits to seniors, of the Liberal’s new budget.

Public Services and Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough tells Beach Radio News, one of the measures is a national dementia strategy.

She says the numbers are growing, and the illness has a significant impact on families and communities.

The minister says the 50 million dollar strategy will look at prevention, support for caregivers, and innovative ways to treat dementia.

“It was interesting to me, to really see the impact this has on families, and it’s growing. I read a stat recently that says, I think it’s every nine minutes, someone in Canada is diagnosed with dementia. That’s significant, and as our population ages, that’s going to get higher.”

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Qualtrough says the cause for dementia still isn’t known.

“There are certain things that have it as one of the symptoms of a particular affliction, but no, not at it’s core. And that’s another aspect the strategy we’ll look at, is the research, and look into what happens, how it happens, and how we can prevent it,” says the MP for Delta BC, who is also a lawyer and former Paralympic athlete.

Qualtrough says another budget program calls for the creation of a national drug agency.

She says it will allow prescription drugs to be purchased in bulk for the provinces and feds on a national level.

“Having this collective buying power will significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs,” says Qualtrough.

The minister says they are also developing a strategy to offset the price of high-cost drugs for rare diseases.

“These rare drugs — they are so expensive. They can be $100,000 to $200,000 a year for families and they’re not covered. So we’re investing in a rare drug strategy that the government will offset the costs for families of these drugs.”

The minister, who also made stops in Kelowna and Salmon Arm Wednesday, touts the New Horizons for Seniors program to help get, and keep, seniors engaged and active in communities.

“Whether it’s a local initiative to get seniors moving, whether it’s an advocacy group for seniors, helping seniors take a class, or whatever you need in your community. It’s a really exciting way to get seniors connected. And that program is for 100 million dollars over five years.”

by Corey Fischer