Hello,
My name is Steven MacKinnon, and it is a privilege to serve you as Canada’s new Minister of Seniors.
The world is an uncertain place these days. But few things are more certain than our need to care for one another. As Minister of Seniors, it is my job to make sure that the seniors who built this country and have given so much to our communities can age on their terms, with dignity and choice.
There is a lot of work to do, and I am excited to get to work delivering for Canadian seniors.
If you think your friends or colleagues would find this newsletter helpful, please forward them this email so they can sign up to receive my updates.
Thanks for reading.
Steven MacKinnon
Minister of Seniors
Dementia awareness
Approximately 750,000 Canadians are living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, and many more may be living with undiagnosed dementia.
Dementia is a term used to describe symptoms affecting brain function. It may be characterized by a decline in thinking abilities such as memory, planning, language and judgment. Dementia can also lead to physical changes, such as loss of coordination and changes in mood and behaviour.
Close to three in four Canadians know someone who has lived or is living with dementia—and over a third of those have been in a caregiving role. Improving support for caregivers is how we deliver better care for Canadians, because the conditions of work are the conditions of care. If we don’t give care workers the support they need, then the care people receive will never be what it should be. Discover the benefits, resources and support available to help caregivers by visiting the caregiver resources webpage.
You can learn more about dementia, including common symptoms, how you can help those living with dementia, and how you can reduce your risk of developing dementia, by visiting the dementia webpage.
Be aware of phishing campaigns!
Cyber criminals use phishing to steal personal and financial information from you. Phishing tactics can include using emails, text messages, phone calls, social media or voice messages to appear to be from a recognizable institution or company, such as your bank. When government benefit payment dates are coming up, it’s a common time for cyber criminals to start phishing campaigns.
It’s especially important to watch out for messages from scammers pretending to be a government department or agency. Messages may claim that you need to update your account or that your tax refund is ready. Whatever the message is, it’s an attempt to trick you into providing your personal or financial information. As seen in the example of a text message below, fraudsters will include the actual phone number of a government agency to make the messages look legitimate.
Remember that the Canada Revenue Agency will never ask for a payment via text message. Don’t be fooled! Learn more about phishing by visiting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s phishing webpage.
Supporting Canadians Aging at Home: Ensuring Quality of Life as We Age
In October 2022, the National Seniors Council was asked to serve as the Expert Panel on Supporting Canadians Aging at Home and provide recommendations on new or enhanced measures that could help seniors aging at home.
The National Seniors Council is pleased to share that the final report is now available.
Supporting Canadians Aging at Home: Ensuring Quality of Life as We Age provides insights into the services, supports, strategies and solutions that make it possible to age at home in Canada with dignity and choice.
You can read this report and share it within your network by visiting the final report webpage.
Canadian Dental Care Plan
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) was launched in December to help 9 million Canadians get access to affordable dental care!
Since the CDCP launched, close to 450,000 Canadians have sat down in a dentist’s chair to get the care they need, and 2.3 million Canadians have been approved to receive coverage under the CDCP.
If you’ve been approved for the CDCP, you can now visit any dentist, hygienist or denturist in the country that does direct billing to Sun Life Insurance and receive care under the CDCP. To learn more, you can read the news release online: All dental care providers can now provide care under the Canadian Dental Care Plan.
Seniors 65 years and older can continue to apply for the CDCP by simply applying online. And now, adults with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate and children under the age of 18 can apply online. All remaining eligible Canadian residents between the ages of 18 and 64 will be able to apply online in 2025.
If CDCP clients do not already have an oral health provider, they can consult Sun Life’s CDCP Provider Search to find a provider in their community or speak to their local oral health provider to see if they accept CDCP clients. For more details on the CDCP, including eligibility, services covered, how much is covered and the phased rollout, visit Canada.ca/dental.
New Horizons for Seniors Program: Recent news!
Canadians deserve to age with dignity and respect. That comes down to choice, affordability, inclusion and community.
For the past 20 years, the New Horizons for Seniors Program has been supporting projects that help enrich the lives of Canadian seniors, fight loneliness and build community.
A great example of a project that does exactly this is Short Breaks in Regina. Touching the lives of not only the individuals it directly serves, but of the whole community, Short Breaks creates a more inclusive and supportive environment for all. You can learn more about the project by watching the Short Breaks YouTube video.
2024 is also a special year for the New Horizons for Seniors Program. On August 1, Minister MacKinnon launched the 2024 to 2025 call for proposals. You can learn more by reading the news release online: Government of Canada launches call for proposals for community projects to help seniors. Stay updated by following the Seniors in Canada Facebook page.