TORONTO, May 18 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government is improving the quality

of life for Ontario seniors by reducing wait times for key surgeries through

an investment of another $281.8 million this year, Minister Responsible for

Seniors Jim Bradley said today.

     "Our government is committed to helping seniors lead healthy, active, and

independent lives," said Bradley. "That is why we are making sure they can get

faster access to medical procedures such as cataract surgery, and hip and knee

replacements."

     Since the launch of Ontario's Wait Time Strategy in November 2004, the

government has invested more than $895 million for approximately 1,270,000

additional procedures, reducing wait times. The latest data, just released,

shows reductions in:

     -   knee replacements by 27 per cent

     -   cataract surgery by 49 per cent

     -   angiography by 57 per cent

     -   cancer surgery by 14 per cent

     -   MRI and CT scans by 10 and 25 per cent, respectively

     -   hip replacements by 28 per cent

     -   angioplasty by 36 per cent.

     To help seniors stay safe and healthy, the McGuinty government is

investing over $400,000 in seniors' information fairs across the province.

Topics include safe medication use, living with mental illness and addictions,

falls prevention and other healthy living themed sessions. The seniors' fairs

are offered in partnership with the Older Adult Centres' Association of

Ontario and the Fédération des aînés et des retraités francophones de

l'Ontario.

     The government is expanding access to its award-winning Seniorsinfo.ca

website, which gives seniors, their family members and service providers a

"one-stop" window to information about all programs and services available to

seniors in their community from all levels of government. Twenty-two

municipalities joined this innovative internet program last year. Nine more

communities will be working with the province, and our federal partners, to

put a local seniors' website on the Internet this year.

     More than $1.6 million is being invested over the next two years to

continue to combat elder abuse through Ontario's Strategy to Combat Elder

Abuse. The government has also provided grants of $3,000 and $15,000 to

support community elder abuse groups across Ontario to support their

front-line work. Approximately $450,000 was provided in both 2005/06 and

2006/07.

     "Our government will not tolerate the abuse or neglect of seniors," said

Bradley. "That is why we are working with community partners to intervene now

to prevent and combat this serious problem."

     "CARP commends the government of Ontario for addressing important

seniors' issues," said Bill Gleberzon, director of government relations for

CARP (Canada's Association for the Fifty Plus). "These policies will enhance

the quality of life for seniors and CARP looks forward to working with the

government in these and other areas."

     This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have

achieved results for seniors. Other examples include:

     -   Eliminating mandatory retirement by passing a law giving Ontarians

         the freedom to choose to retire or not at the age of 65

     -   Helping seniors maintain their independence by investing an

         additional $104.7 million in funding for home care services, bringing

         the total funding for home care to $1.54 billion for this year.

     "Our government recognizes and respects the significant contributions

Ontario seniors have made, and continue to make, to their families,

communities and the province," said Bradley. "We are committed to working hard

to meet the changing needs of today's seniors."