With the number of older adults quickly growing, the next Manitoba government must address the need to improve transportation options in the province. That was the message from Seniors Vote 2016, a coalition of six organizations representing more than 30,000 older adults in Manitoba, which met at the Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre to draw attention to their message.
“If we’re serious about people living long, active lives, then we have to get much more serious about transportation issues,” said Lionel Guerard, president of Transportation Options Network for Seniors. “There needs to be a focus on the needs of seniors and others who do not drive. There are few transportation options in rural and urban areas, apart from the support of friends and family and volunteer driving programs where they exist.”
Many seniors do not qualify for Handi-Transit, and using taxi services is not an option for many seniors – especially those on fixed incomes who cannot afford it, said Guerard.
Seniors Vote 2016 has identified transportation as a gateway issue to many other challenges facing older adults. The World Health Organization says transportation is one of the main things that determines healthy, active aging. It is a determinant of health and is pivotal to social inclusion and active participation in our communities.
“We are happy that some of the parties have already pledged to lower ambulance fees which are the highest in Canada,” said Tom Farrell, President, Manitoba Association of Senior Centres. “But let’s give seniors a way to stay connected and involved before they need an ambulance.”
Research by the Centre on Aging – University of Manitoba (August 2013) has shown there are wide-ranging health benefits for older adults who continue to participate socially as they age, including:
- enhanced quality of life and better self-rated health
- longer survival; lower morbidity
- decreased risk of disability and functional and mobility decline
- decreased likelihood of depression and generalized anxiety disorders
- decreased risk of cognitive decline and dementia
Seniors Vote 2016 is a group of six seniors’ organizations, representing tens of thousands of Manitobans, that has come together to ensure issues facing older adults are central to the current provincial election campaign.
