The report "A City for All Ages: Fact or Fiction? The Effects
of Government Policy Decisions on Toronto Seniors' Quality of
Life" is being released today in Toronto.  It will be
available at http://www.utoronto.ca/seniors at 2:00 PM today,
September 19, 2000.

The 262 page report presents findngs from a participatory
policy project by which seniors themselves identified key
policy issues and solutions raised by government actions at
all three levels. The project and seven others like it across
Canada is funded by the Population Health Fund of Health
Canada.  A summary follows:

Summary
Toronto seniors explored how government policy decisions were
influencing their health and well being. Focus groups and
interviews revealed that all three levels of governments were
seen as not listening to seniors' voices. In nine key policy
areas identified as influencing seniors' quality of life --
hearing seniors' voices, housing, acute illness care, long
term care, income supports, transportation and mobility,
promoting healthy lifestyles, access to information, and
hearing voices from cultural communities -- many concerns were
raised. The gap between government rhetoric and government
action on seniors' issues merits public health attention.

Hard copies are also available -- information available at
http://www.utoronto.ca/seniors after 2:00 PM today.

Dennis R.



Visit our Web Sites for information and reports from all of
our Quality of Life Projects!
        http://www.utoronto.ca/qol
http://www.utoronto.ca/seniors


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   In the early hours I read in the paper of epoch-making
projects
   On the part of pope and sovereigns, bankers and oil barons.
   With my other eye I watch
   The pot with the water for my tea
   The way it clouds and starts to bubble and clears again
   And overflowing the pot quenches the fire.

   -- Bertolt Brecht

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Dennis Raphael, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Public Health Sciences
Graduate Department of Community Health
University of Toronto
McMurrich Building, Room 308
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5S 1A8
voice: (416) 978-7567
fax: (416) 978-2087
e-mail:   [log in to unmask]