Non Partisan Association

Alberta's aging population requires a comprehensive, coordinated approach to senior care that prioritizes dignity, accessibility, and quality of life. The NPA's policy framework addresses the full spectrum of seniors' needs through five interconnected initiatives.

1. Public Senior Care Facilities

The NPA advocates for transitioning all senior care homes in Alberta to government operation. This structural change would fundamentally realign facility priorities from profit generation to care quality.

Key benefits of public operation include:

• Direct reinvestment of resources into staffing, training, and resident services
• Standardized care protocols across all facilities
• Enhanced regulatory oversight and public accountability
• Elimination of care disparities based on residents' financial means

2. Enhanced Alberta Seniors Benefit

Fixed-income seniors face increasing financial pressure from rising costs across essential categories. The NPA supports a significant enhancement to the Alberta Seniors Benefit to address these affordability challenges.

This increased support would help seniors maintain economic security while meeting their basic needs for housing, utilities, nutrition, and healthcare-related expenses not covered by other programs.

3. Universal Pharmacare

Seniors often require multiple prescription medications to manage chronic conditions, creating substantial ongoing costs. The NPA's pharmacare proposal would eliminate these expenses for all Albertans, with particular benefit to seniors who face the highest medication burden.

For comprehensive details on this initiative, see our Healthcare Policy Framework.

4. Expanded Home Care Services

Research consistently demonstrates that aging in place—remaining in one's own home—yields better health outcomes and higher quality of life for seniors. The NPA proposes a significant expansion of home-based care through increased Nurse Practitioner deployment.

This initiative would enable:

• Regular in-home health monitoring and chronic disease management
• Reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations
• Extended independence for seniors in their preferred living environment
• Professional support for family caregivers

5. Alberta Pension Plan Feasibility Study

The NPA supports investigation of a feasibility study regarding the creation of an Alberta Pension Plan (APP). This proposal is defined by core principles that prioritize individual choice and provincial fiscal flexibility.

Core principles:

• Strictly Voluntary Participation: Unlike existing mandatory frameworks, the proposed Alberta Pension Plan would be entirely opt-in or opt-out, granting individual Albertans the freedom to choose whether to participate based on their own financial goals
• A Stand-Alone Supplement: This plan is designed as a stand-alone provincial initiative, intended to function as an addition to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) rather than a replacement for it
• Separation from CPP: The proposed APP would be managed completely separately from the Canada Pension Plan, ensuring Albertans have access to a distinct, locally-managed investment vehicle to enhance their retirement security
• Focus on Feasibility: The association advocates for a comprehensive study to determine the long-term viability, management costs, and potential returns of such a voluntary supplement before any formal implementation

This proposal aligns with ongoing provincial discussions regarding Alberta's fiscal independence while prioritizing individual choice and supplemental savings options for residents.