Nearly half of Canadian seniors — especially those with disabilities — don’t have reliable transportation to meet daily needs, such as grocery shopping, or going to the doctor’s office.
CanAge, a national advocacy organization, wants central Alberta community groups to help improve seniors’ access to transportation services by sharing what challenges local seniors face.
With about 14 per cent of Albertans over the age of 65, CanAge believes it’s important for organizations to share information to help make critical improvements to seniors’ transportation options.
“Seniors living with disabilities have been overwhelmingly impacted by the pandemic, and they’re also the ones who struggle the most to access the transportation they need to stay connected and healthy,” said Laura Tamblyn Watts, CEO of CanAge.
Data shows older adults who lack reliable transportation suffer from worse mental health and lower quality of life.
Communities can submit a “community profile” online to help capture information about what seniors’ transportation services are in place and what shortfalls exist. The profile can be completed at fasttrackcanada,org/en/community-profile/ before March 31.
CanAge is Canada’s non-partisan national seniors’ advocacy organization, working to improve the lives of older adults through advocacy, policy, and community engagement.