Op-Ed Piece

NOTE: The following is an op-ed piece by Angus MacIsaac, Minister of Health.

This year, my government made a commitment to Nova Scotians -- to examine new ideas and new ways of supporting Nova Scotians who need continuing care.

All Nova Scotians have access to continuing care services including infants, children, adults and seniors. Examples of these types of supports include adult day programs, long-term care, adult protection, community-based options, rehabilitative care, convalescent care, residential care, home care, home hospice care and respite services.

Our senior population is rapidly growing. In Nova Scotia, we know that one in seven persons is over 65 years of age. In fact, by 2020 we estimate that one-third of Nova Scotians will fall in this age category. People are also living longer, which means more Nova Scotians than ever will need continuing care services. We know we will not be able to keep up with the demand unless we're prepared to make changes. We need to plan now for tomorrow.

Hearing from you has been important to us. That's why we've visited more than 50 communities to seek your input. It will help us decide what changes we need to make in order to prepare for tomorrow.

Your input about the types and mix of services will feed into a strategic plan for continuing care in the province. This means we can plan for long-term solutions that respond to what your community needs.

Each health district has a group that is looking at the needs of its own communities. A group is examining the needs of children and youth. We're also exploring what works well in other provinces and countries. The information and ideas gathered by all of these groups will be used to develop a plan and recommendations that will be presented to me in 2006.

We need to prepare now for tomorrow. This initiative is a huge step towards making that happen. It's the right thing to do for Nova Scotians.

For more information please visit our website at www.gov.ns.ca/health .