At their annual meeting, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for seniors identified financial abuse of seniors as a particular concern. The ministers said they support the development of tools and information, such as a new web portal, to help raise awareness of the issue and to help seniors learn how to protect their financial security.

“Seniors make valuable contributions to our communities, and it’s important that we continue to give them a voice and explore the issues that are having the biggest impact on their lives,” said Doug Currie, Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Social Services and Seniors, who could not attend the meetings in Edmonton but sent senior departmental officials in his place. “In Prince Edward Island, we are working with our Seniors’ Secretariat and focusing on addressing the challenges they face while strengthening our supports for seniors, from improving our public drug programs to building more seniors’ housing, to help them enjoy liveable incomes and age in a healthy way,” Currie said.

The group also discussed the new Seniors’ Policy Handbook it recently designed to help governments and community organizations evaluate how the policies and programs they develop will affect seniors. The handbook will be distributed to the Prince Edward Island Seniors’ Secretariat, provincial government departments, and non-government organizations to help evaluate which activities, policies and programs are benefitting seniors, and how to develop new initiatives to meet the needs of seniors today and in the future. Copies of the Seniors’ Policy Handbook can be ordered by calling (902) 620-3785.

The federal, provincial and territorial ministers are scheduled to meet again in 2010 in New Brunswick.