Families carry growing strain of Canada’s health-care gaps

Canada’s overburdened health-care system is leaving families to manage the consequences of gaps in primary and emergency care, according to an article supported by the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, or CARP.

The article says one in six Canadians does not have a family doctor and fewer than half can see a primary-care provider the same or following day. It says staffing shortages and delayed treatment are also adding pressure to emergency departments, with racialized and lower-income adults disproportionately affected.

CARP president Anthony Quinn described seeing his mother receiving care in an emergency department hallway, saying the experience underscored the loss of dignity that can accompany hallway care. The article says CARP seeks to influence public policy and combat ageism, and promotes membership as a way to support that advocacy.