QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Employment and Social Development
Strategy for Seniors
October 7, 2025
Madam Secretary, thank you for being here. My question is about the lack of a national seniors strategy in Canada. For example, social well-being comprises building and maintaining healthy relationships, as well as having meaningful interactions with others and your community.
Examples of poor social well-being include social isolation and chronic loneliness. Seniors are at higher risk for loneliness with negative impacts on their physical and mental health.
It is estimated that 30% of seniors in Canada are at risk of social isolation. Canada has over eight million seniors; their social well-being transcends jurisdictional boundaries and is a shared responsibility.
Will the government commit to a comprehensive national seniors strategy?
Thank you for your question. I think you hit on a very important point talking about social isolation and how seniors are supported. Our government is helping Canadians and caregivers to provide the care and supports they need.
We’ve made historic investments to strengthen the social infrastructure that is the care economy, which includes work to ensure all families in Canada have accessible, high-quality, affordable, flexible and inclusive caregiving and improved support for caregivers through the Canada caregiver credit.
We have also improved access to long-term care and other continuing care services through Aging with Dignity agreements, which are signed with each province and territory.
Thank you for the work on caregivers and the care economy.
Advocacy groups, like the National Association of Federal Retirees, have long advocated for a single overarching, comprehensive strategy.
What barriers have you and your department identified that are standing in the way of a comprehensive national seniors strategy?
A caregiving strategy overlaps with much of the national senior strategy.
At this time, we are focused on ensuring we have a caregiving strategy that takes into account all the perspectives and hears all voices at the table.
Despite the fact that health and social programs mostly fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, we are providing an array of support for the care economy and to caregivers, which is absolutely fundamental to ensuring that seniors have the support they need. This includes Canada Health Transfers and Aging with Dignity bilateral agreements with provinces and territories.
