Sask Party Leader Scott Moe made his campaign announcement in North Battleford on Oct. 8. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Promise for seniors

Sask. Party Leader Scott Moe promises more support for seniors if elected

Oct 8, 2020 | 4:36 PM

Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe was in the Battlefords today to unveil a proposal for three new initiatives to benefit seniors in the province at a total estimated cost of about $36 million per year if elected.

Moe was joined by Battlefords Sask. Party candidate Jeremy Cockrill as well as Melville-Saltcoats Sask. Party candidate Warren Kaeding during his stop at Cockrill’s campaign office in North Battleford.

As part of the party’s new three-measure proposal, Moe said the party would reduce ambulance costs for seniors, increase the Seniors’ Income Plan, and hire a total of 300 new continuing care aides in Saskatchewan.

The committment was meant to coincide with Seniors’ Week recognized last week in Saskatchewan.

Moe said the aim is to “make life more affordable and provide additional care for our seniors living in our communities across Saskatchewan.”

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Of the promise for 300 new continuing care aide hires, 180 of them would go directly into long-term care facilities.

“That will allow for about one additional care aide for every 50 long-term care residents across the province, so a significant increase in continuing care aides including right here in the Battlefords,” Moe said.

The remaining 120 new continuing care aides would be added to provide home-care services throughout the province.

Moe said continuing care aides have an important role in helping seniors with their mobility and their personal care needs.

On reducing ambulance costs, he said, if re-elected the Sask Party government would eliminate charges for inter-hospital ambulance calls for seniors and reduce the maximum cost of other seniors’ ambulance calls by over 50 per cent – from a maximum of $275 per call to $135 per call. There are about 50,000 seniors’ ambulance calls in Saskatchewan each year.

The Seniors’ Income Plan that currently provides a benefit of up to $270 per month to low-income seniors in the province would see an increase in the proposal. The Sask. Party promises over the next four years, to boost the maximum amount of this benefit to $360 per month. About 14,000 Saskatchewan seniors receive the Seniors’ Income Plan benefit each month alongside the federal Guaranteed Income Supplement benefit.

For the proposed timelines for the Sask. Party’s commitments, reduced seniors’ ambulance costs would come into effect in December 2020 at a cost of $8.4 million per year. The Seniors’ Income Plan increase would be phased in over three years starting in 2021 at a cost of $9 million per year when fully in place. The new continuing care aides positions would be added following the 2021-22 budget at a cost of $18.4 million per year.

Sask Party Leader Scott Moe, left, shown with Sask Party Battlefords candidate Jeremy Cockrill. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

Following Moe’s announcement, Cockrill took the opportunity to talk about his door-to-door campaign in the Battlefords riding, where he said he has been hearing from residents’ concerns.

“We’ve knocked most of the Battlefords so far,” he said. “I’d say the number one concern that we are hearing on the doors is the economy.”

The candidate says most people have been pleased to see someone at their doorstep, taking an interest in how their lives have been over the last seven months since the start of the pandemic.

Cockrill noted his team is following social distancing and COVID-19 precautions while visiting residents to drop off campaign leaflets.

Leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, Scott Moe reminded people across Saskatchewan to continue to adhere to precautions during the long weekend and to stay within their social bubble.

“Wear a mask if you are not at that distance that is appropriate,” he said. “And, most certainly, consider having just one person serve the food, to just limit that risk.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW