Offer one free dental cleaning for seniors. Dental care is often sacrficed by seniors on fixed income. They no longer have dental coverage after leaving the workplace upon retirement. One small step towards fairness and help for our seniors.
WHEREAS the myriad examples of racial inequities in health, not only in access to care, but also in life expectancy, mortality, morbidity, health status, disease prevalence and incidence, utilization of services, clinical outcomes, process of care, adequacy of pain management, do-not resuscitate orders, and end of life care - even under conditions of equal access to medical care, should be of concern to countries with... more »
I believe the ongoing issue with overcrowded emergency rooms at most Ontario hospitals as well as patient wait times will surely be a major issue going into the 2018 Ontario provincial election. It occurs to me that perhaps one of the best ways to alleviate some of the stress on overcrowded ERs would be not only to permit but also encourage by way of financial incentive (i.e., tax credits, student loan forgiveness,... more »
Save lives with emergency crisis services for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). BPD, more common than schizophrenia and bipolar, affects up to 6% of the population, with 10% of affected people committing suicide, yet there is very limited, if any, assistance in emergency departments when in crisis.
This idea is about wellness or healthy living. According to a recent national study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “The prevalence of stress in primary care is high; 60% to 80% of visits may have a stress-related component” [1, references at the end]. Ontario findings may be no different. Stress is a behavioral problem. It results from our lack of deep acknowledgement of our unseen common ground leading... more »
Ontario needs to make telemedicine a core part of how health care is delivered in this province. Telemedicine expands care to people who cannot access it, makes it easier to access for those who find getting health care inconvenient or inefficient, such as seniors, and drastically streamlines services to make them more efficient. Delivering on the promise of universal health care is challenging. Hundreds of thousands... more »
There should be optometry coverage for all under our health care program. Eyesight is essential. I am especially disappointed to hear that cataract surgery isn't covered unless the cataract has affected 70% of vision. This is not helpful to those whose cataract is positioned in the centre of the eye which would interfere with driving, reading, etc .much earlier. Very costly, especially for seniors on fixed incomes.... more »
Currently we have a "illness" driven system of healthcare. I would like to see a prevention focus in Ontario. Suggestion: Establish a "Ministry of Chronic Disease Prevention." This includes both mental health and addictions and physical disease prevention and would bring together the most analytical minds across the province to evolve prevention approaches. This would set our province apart not only here in Canada but... more »
Recent Polls Show 84% of Condo residents want Smoking banned in High Rise Condominiums. 700,000 Ontarians are affected by smoking issues, including Marijuana.
Right now, people in Canada have to register as organ donors to be recognized as a donor. Ontario should move to an opt-out system. The evidence is clear - people are patiently waiting for organs and tissues which could significantly improve lives but many are let down by our current system. There is correlation between countries having a donor opt-out system and having a higher number of organ donations. In "opt-out"... more »
Mental health services are chronically underfunded - many people with mental health care needs are NOT able to access services unless they can afford to pay high fees in the private sector. Early recognition, access to treatment, and supports for people before their concerns become crises (or mental health concerns escalate) are necessary to support a healthy Ontario.
WHEREAS social determinants of health approaches and theories that foreground the link between inequitable distribution of social resources and unfair exposure to health-reducing conditions, have been criticized for ignoring “non-economic”— that is, interpersonal and structural manifestations of racism, that are part of the larger picture of health inequities ; WHEREAS researchers have proposed that racism be seen as... more »
Steps need to be taken to ensure that our long-term care institutions are properly regulated and inspected. The recent murders of seven patents in a nursing home in Woodstock should be a call to action by the Province to adequately and rigorously fund ongoing inspections of these types of facilities. Our seniors deserve better care and attention.
We will enable the long-term life quality benefits of funding treatments received at home or in community such as vaccinations which protect against major diseases (e.g., pneumonia shots and newer shingles vaccines), and physiotherapy, massage therapy, chiropraxis, and some dental procedures which protect against heart disease. We will improve the quality of compassion and authorization of effective rehabilitative services... more »
The current mental health system is really a mental "illness" system. Access especially by the most vulnerable citizens is not possible until one is severely mentally ill. We must re-orient the system so that a "continuum" of mental health services is available beginning at the earliest point through to acute care phase of illness.