Quebec seniors organization wants funds from Canada to boost home care

FILE - THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Luca Bruno

A seniors' advocacy organization says Quebec must take advantage of the additional money it will receive from the federal government for health care to increase funding for home care in the budget to be tabled next Tuesday.

Réseau FADOQ (Fédération de l'Âge d'Or du Québec) says that staying at home to receive care is what most seniors want.

"What's more, this represents a saving for the government compared to care provided in a health care institution," said FADOQ president Gisèle Tassé-Goodman, in an interview Wednesday.

As for the future of the Quebec Pension Plan, FADOQ hopes that the finance minister will confirm in his budget that the minimum age of eligibility for Quebec Pension Plan benefits will remain at 60.

Le @GouvQc doit profiter du budget, qui sera déposé mardi prochain, pour continuer de rehausser les sommes allouées aux soins à domicile. https://t.co/TTPtM9G49q

— Réseau FADOQ (@ReseauFADOQ) March 15, 2023

In February, Quebec held consultations on the possibility of raising the minimum age of eligibility for these pensions from 60 to 62. But this idea was opposed by the organizations that testified.

The FADOQ network is made up of organizations representing seniors and has 525,000 members.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 15, 2023.