CBC News October 2, 2013 - Saskatchewan's Health Minister, Dustin Duncan, wants to discuss seniors' health issues at a meeting with his counterparts from across the country this week.
The latest federal-provincial health ministers meeting is being held in Toronto.
Duncan heads there a day after releasing the results of a review of long-term care in Saskatchewan, which uncovered some troubling issues.
Duncan said meeting with his provincial and territorial counterparts is a good opportunity to learn how others are tackling common problems. For instance, it was at a previous meeting that Duncan heard about a program called "Home First/Quick Response".
On Tuesday, Duncan boosted the spending for that program; expanding a pilot project already underway in Regina, to Saskatoon and Prince Albert.
The goal of "Home First/Quick Response" is to keep seniors in their own homes for as long as possible.
For instance, if a senior living at home has an issue after regular hours.
"They have a catheter and the catheter comes out in the middle of the night,“ said Duncan. “It's an urgent issue for them; but it's not necessarily an emergency”.
Duncan said helping that person after hours could save a trip to the emergency room.