Penny Fox, director of Smoky River Family & Community Support Services.

Residents in the Smoky River region are invited to help give the provincial government an accurate assessment of what they believe their needs will be as a senior by completing a new survey. “It’s important that we go the extra mile to make sure people are aware this is happening,” says Penny Fox, director of Smoky River Family & Community Support Services. “We need to ask ourselves, “What are my plans and what do I envision my retirement to be like?” The local FCSS office took part in a recent consultation process in Grande Prairie July 25 and is doing everything in its power to make residents in the region aware of the importance of participating in the province-wide survey. “The government needs to know what Albertans’ expectations are for the future. They need to know if people have been making plans for their retirement years, what services they’ll need and how communities may need to adapt to the growing needs of the population of seniors in the future,” Fox explains. The information gathered from the survey will assist the province in the development of an Aging Population Policy Framework which will guide future government decisions on seniors’ programs and policies. Albertans of all ages can complete the survey, which primarily focuses on baby boomers and people around 65 years of age. Fox acknowledges the underlying importance of the government survey and plan, especially since the baby boomer age group will start becoming seniors in 2011 and grow rapidly each year after that through a projected ‘population bulge.’ By 2016, the population of seniors in Alberta is expected to be 40 per cent greater than what it is today. “The number of seniors in Alberta is expected to increase by more than 40 per cent in the next decade, to about 550,000 seniors,” said Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports. This growing aging population base will bring with it increased needs for seniors throughout the province… needs which will greatly exceed the level of service available today in both rural and urban-based settings. “The government needs to hear from you now so they can plan for what you think your needs are going to be,” Fox explains. While many seniors will have the financial resources to afford the type of retirement they want, others are not expected to be quite so fortunate. Fox says the harsh reality is that many other seniors simply won’t be in a favourable financial position to pay for the services they need. That in itself lends itself to the question of where the assistance they require will come from (government, private companies, volunteer organizations, not for profit agencies)? Fox says the big question the government is trying to answer is: What should people expect from the government during their senior years? “Needs change when you begin to age and health restrictions bring certain challenges, from the basics such as the type of accommodation we need to the way we access medical care,” she points out. Another point worth mentioning is that while most seniors will have family that is able to share in the caring of their aging family members, not everyone will reap that benefit. The online survey will be available until the end of August at www.TomorrowsSeniors.alberta.ca. Albertans without access to the Internet can have a survey mailed to them by calling toll-free 1-800-642-3853. The survey is also available at the Falher FCSS office. Additional forms have also been placed at coffee shops and other location throughout the region. FCSS will also mail the survey to you or you can do it on-line in their Falher office.