Friends of Medicare calls for increases in home care

By Lethbridge Herald on April 24, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With a petition in hand which included over 37,000 signatures, Friends of Medicare along with activists within the disability community, returned to the Alberta Legislature late last week to renew their calls to the UCP government to improve the province’s home care system.

In March of last year, the petition was tabled for the first time and over a year later FOM feels their concerns have been dismissed by the Alberta government, in fact, Chris Gallaway, executive director, says they haven’t heard a response to their second appearance or seen an increase as of yet.

He adds that home care comes in many forms, including short-term, palliative and for seniors wanting to stay in their home, but in need of extra support. Gallaway says the care they are receiving isn’t enough to meet their needs.

“Folks aren’t able to stay home unless they have family to fill that gap, and the same is true for folks living with lifelong disabilities that (are) not getting the care hours they need.”

With the lack of care hours, many families have to pay out of pocket for extra care to support their needs, says Gallaway.

An example of this is Erin Novakowski, a disability activist from Calgary, whose full story can be read on the Friends of Medicare website.

Novakowski has a disability called spinal muscular atrophy, which she was diagnosed with as a toddler and requires help with most physical tasks such as getting in and out of bed, showering and making meals. She is currently a student at the University of Calgary double majoring in English and Political Science. Her family has to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket each month to cover her needs that are not covered by insurance. If she or her family are unable to cover the cost, she will be placed in an institution at the age of only 23.

Novakowski is one of 127,000 Albertans who rely on home care to feel a sense of dignity in their everyday life.

It’s not only the people who rely on home care who are suffering due to the heavy privatization of home care, says Gallaway. Workers are also feeling the effects often not having enough time to give the level of care they know is required.

“It’s a consistent thing I hear in both seniors care and home care, from the workers who just feel like they’re constantly failing those they are supposed to be helping,” says Gallaway. “They don’t have enough time in a day, they don’t have enough staff (and) they’re being rushed to do it and they just feel awful, or they’re giving their own time beyond what they’re paid because they are worried about people’s health and their safety.”

Gallaway accuses the Alberta government of focusing on privatization of health care services, and says the home care and long-term care sectors are an example of the damages privatization can cause to both people seeking help and the workers in the field giving them that help.

A representative of Seniors, Community and Social Services, the ministry responsible for home care, did not return a request for comment before press time.