Continuing Care
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People’s Bus takes health care and senior’s care concerns to minister’s riding
A bus carrying dozens of Albertans concerned about the government’s actions regarding health care and senior’s care made a stop near Red Deer on Wednesday.
The People’s Bus, chartered by Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta, was travelling from Edmonton to Calgary and made a stop at a business along Gasoline Alley with the end goal of canvassing the constituency of the Minister of Health, Tyler Shandro.
The groups say they are concerned about deep cuts and privatization the provincial government is imposing on Alberta’s health care and seniors’ care systems.
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“Albertans deserve quality health care” is the rallying cry aboard the People’s Bus
EDMONTON - Today, dozens of concerned Albertans are gathering on The People’s Bus, chartered by Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta. The bus will be travelling from Edmonton to Calgary, making a stop in Red Deer, to canvass the constituency of the Minister of Health, Tyler Shandro. The groups are concerned about deep cuts and privatization the provincial government is imposing on Alberta’s health care and seniors’ care systems.
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FOM's response to the AHS review
With the release of the much-awaited performance review of Alberta Health Services (AHS), Albertans will have to wait until May 2020 to fully understand the real life consequences that the recommendations will have on Albertans.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
February 03, 2020 -
Elder care in Alberta should not be an industry
Elder care in Alberta should not be an industry
Yesterday’s media report on the death of an Alberta senior residing in a for-profit seniors’ facility served as a harrowing example of the real life consequences of the political ideology and short-sighted policy decisions that have shaped Alberta’s continuing care system. “Alberta’s continuing care system is an area that has seen aggressive privatization that has resulted in serious consequences for our seniors,” says Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare. “We have turned our elder care system into an industry that treats residents as consumers, rather than people deserving of timely and quality care.”
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
January 27, 2020 -
Cuts to front-line staff is not the solution to balancing the budget and it is not what Albertans voted for
Cuts to front-line staff is not the solution to balancing the budget and it is not what Albertans voted for
On Friday morning, Albertans learned that 500 front-line Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses will lose their jobs over the next three years. The United Nurses of Alberta estimate this loss of staff will equate to more than a million fewer hours of care for patients.“In an already overstretched system, this attempt to save money by eliminating front-line staff can only be seen as nonsensical,” stated Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
November 29, 2019 -
Alberta Budget 2019
Restrained spending in budget 2019 is the wrong prescription for Alberta
Although budget 2019 sees a slight increase in spending in health care (1%), it does not meet inflation and population growth (3.5%). "When a government is not able to provide health care to meet the needs of a growing population, it is a cut," says Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare. "As one goes down line by line through the budget, what we're seeing is a decrease in most areas of the health care budget."
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
October 24, 2019 -
Government-appointed “Blue Ribbon Panel” sets the stage for 4 years of unwarranted austerity budgets
Although health care took a back seat to “jobs, pipelines, economy” during the recent election, it was expected and reasonable to assume that health care should now become a much spoken about subject area.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
September 03, 2019 -
Advocacy groups: Good direction for long term care, but beds must be public
Today, Premier Rachel Notley announced that if re-elected, the Alberta New Democratic Party is committed to building an additional 2,000 long term care (LTC) beds. The promised $170 million investment is welcome news to a system that is currently facing serious shortages.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
March 22, 2019 -
Good direction for long term care, but beds must be public
MEDIA RELEASE
MARCH 21, 2019
EDMONTON
Advocacy groups: Good direction for long term care, but beds must be public
Today, Premier Rachel Notley announced that if re-elected, the Alberta New Democratic Party is committed to building an additional 2,000 long term care (LTC) beds. The promised $170 million investment is welcome news to a system that is currently facing serious shortages.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
March 21, 2019 -
Been there, done that: Albertans want strong public health care not privatization
Privatization Ideologues have been set on marketizing our health care system, and yesterday's announcement by the leader of the UCP, Jason Kenney, that he intends to privatize laboratory services in Alberta, is another reminder that this unbridled disdain for our public services is nothing more than a celebration of self-interest and the interests of those who seek to profit from the poor health of others.
Written by Fom Friends of Medicare
March 12, 2019
