Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling to allow James Darwish and the Elder Advocates of Alberta Society's class action suit against the Provincial Government is an important step forward to re-build adequate and affordable long-term care services in Alberta, says Friends of Medicare.
On Thursday, May 11 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a class action suit may proceed against the Government of Alberta for their decision to increase long-term care fees by 40% in 2003, thus beginning a process that has blurred the lines between long-term care and other forms of assisted living. This has left our province desperately short of long-term care spaces, and made seniors care and care for persons with disabilities increasingly unaffordable.
"This government has been charging unfairly for these health services for years" says David Eggen Executive Director of Friends of Medicare, "This ruling should serve as a wake up call for Alberta Health and Wellness to start providing the affordable long-term care services that our province so desperately needs."
"This government's long-term care policy has been destructive, and now it's one step closer to being illegal", says Eggen. " It's too bad you have to sue this government to force them to do the right thing."
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