CFN submits brief to federal pre-budget consultations

Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) recently submitted a brief to the federal Finance Committee 2017 pre-budget consultations, and requested an apperance before the Committee. Click here to read our submission — Ensuring a more equitable healthcare system: addressing the needs of Canada’s frail elderly.

We believe that frailty should be incorporated into federal healthcare funding models, and that by implementing frailty assessment in the healthcare system and producing evidence-based interventions and practices, true socioeconomic benefit to Canadians will result including improved quality of life and more efficient healthcare resource utilization.

Frailty is a common yet under-recognized health state associated with functional decline, multiple health problems, cognitive impairment and poorer health outcomes in late life. At present, there is little evidence to guide the care of our frail elderly population – estimated at over 1.2 million – and it is unknown if current therapies are beneficial, cause harm, are cost-effective or waste scarce healthcare resources. Of the $220 billion spent on healthcare per year in Canada, 45% is spent on those over 65 years, although they account for only 15% of the population, and 20% of all healthcare costs occur in the last year of life; the majority in those with multiple medical conditions and frailty. Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) is funded by the federal NCE program to improve care for frail elderly Canadians. We believe that frailty should be incorporated into federal healthcare funding models, and that by implementing frailty assessment in the healthcare system and producing evidence-based interventions and practices, true socioeconomic benefit to Canadians will result including improved quality of life and more efficient healthcare resource utilization.