Seniors group looking to expand with P.E.I. chapter

The Canadian Association of Retired Persons wants to form a branch on P.E.I., and was in Charlottetown Wednesday to kick off a campaign.

CARP represents 300,000 seniors across the country, and lobbies government and organizations to improve the lives of their members and all seniors.

The group is also launching a new campaign to increase financial support for caregivers, and Wanda Morris, the vice president of CARP, says helping them out ultimately means a better quality of life for seniors.

"As we look at issues, like many seniors with dementia, problems with long-term care, issues with healthcare access, one of the underlying threads is caregivers, and the toll that caregiving takes, whether it's on the adult children looking after their parents, or on increasingly frail spouses looking after their frail and elderly spouses," said Morris.

"So we wanted to see if we could make a change to caregivers that would have ripple effects throughout the population."

The group is proposing three financialrelief policies that could be given to caregivers, the first a reworking of the tax credit program.

3 proposals for caregiver relief

While caregivers do get tax credits, if you don't work or had to give up work to care for someone, they are of no help.

So CARP is proposing Ottawa turn the tax credit into a rebate so everyone gets the value.

The second is for E.I., which is available to caregivers but only in specific situations.

"To qualify you have to be caring for someone who is within 26 weeks of death," said Morris. "What about someone whosespouse has just had a hip replacement, and has to take twoor threeweeks off work, or a month, just to nurse their spouse? We think that individual should also qualify, so we're looking for an expansion of employment insurance."

The third is a proposal for an allowance or stipend that could be paid to informal caregivers, something available now right next door.

"In Nova Scotia, somebody who qualifies would be able to get $100 a week to help themselves be a caregiver," said Morris.

Will lobby Ottawa and provinces

The new campaign will be to solidify support among seniors through CARP, and then take proposals to Ottawa and the provincial governments.

Morris met with interested seniors in Charlottetown Wednesday to get their support, and find enough people to form the new chapter.

"Then hopefully get involved with some of our other issues," she said. "Making cities age-friendly, protecting seniors, often their lifes savings are at risk from predatory advisors because we don't have enough regulation in place. There's a lot of opportunity to come out and make a difference."

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS|Rachel Peters captures 'a lot of love' in her photos of P.E.I.
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS|Selena Gomez cancels Atlantic Canada concerts, fans disappointed