Jeff Johnson, The Minister of Seniors, toured Glendon’s Heritage Manor, the Bonny Lodge and Cold Lake Lodge, on Monday March 30th, to deliver the message that seniors’ care budget will go untouched.
Minister Johnson came to reassure seniors in The Lakeland that The Province has put a strategy in place to ensure that seniors continue to have the best benefits in Canada. The Alberta Government says that income supports, special needs assistance, or any of the things that seniors in the province are entitled to, will not be reduced. There is discussion on increasing funding to those areas.
Minister Johnson was quoted on his visit as stating that, “The Premier has us working on three things: renewing and replacing the old lodges across the provinces, upgrading the sprinkler and fire safety systems in the lodges and adding long-term care space and assisted living”. Johnson went on to say “this initiative is going to help seniors stay together and spouses not split up. Having more assisted living and dementia units is critical, especially throughout rural Alberta.”
The Provincial Government released their Budget 2015, with many cuts and tax increases, on March 27th to little fanfare. Following the release of The Budget, The Provincial Government called an election to be held on May 5th, 2015.