Federal institutions must properly support Quebec’s English-speaking seniors, says Graham Fraser
OTTAWA, November 19, 2013 –
Quebec’s English-speaking population has a faster rate of aging than its French-speaking population and, despite higher education levels among English-speaking seniors, nearly as many of them are living below the low-income cut-off as French-speaking seniors. These are the main findings of the study released today by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, entitled Enjoying Your Senior Years in Your Own Language, Culture and Community: Federal support from key institutions and a portrait of English-speaking seniors in Quebec
“I decided that a portrait of English-speaking seniors was needed, because there has been, until now, little data on their reality. For example, over half of English-speaking seniors are unilingual, and they face the challenge of finding professionals in their region who not only are able to serve them, but who also speak their language. These seniors find themselves in a vulnerable position, or depend on a family member when they need to get information or public health services, for example,” said Graham Fraser.
