A good motivation is what is needed : compassion without dogmatism , without complicated philosophy ; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters . … That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities .

Tenzin Gyatso , 14th Dalai Lama

And then it happened in my backyard . The images of the floods in southern Alberta were compelling , and our reality was family members receiving an eleven p . m . knock on the door and the word to evacuate . Another member was stranded from work . Still another could not get home . However , their experiences paled against that of thousands of others .

Our family was fortunate in that no one sustained property damage ; however , that was not so for so many others across the province ’ s grid . We know that although the news crews will move on to the next story , the legacy of damages and irreplaceable losses will persist long into the future . For a number of ARTA members , retirement plans and homes have been turned upside down . Months of turmoil lie ahead . Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of them . If there could be a redeeming aspect to this tragedy , it is the compassion of the wider community and the supports that came from across the province and country . Territoriality among charities disappeared , politicians became leaders , and partisanship gave way to common cause . It was all of them … leaders , agencies , and thousands of volunteers in boots and sneakers ,

with shovels and buckets , who understood and achieved the common good . And among them , many of our colleagues , lending a helping hand , where possible , or opening their chequebooks .

In time , the physical and emotional impacts of the disaster will diminish , and partisan roles will re-emerge , but , hopefully for all of us in ARTA , our renewed capacity for ‘ community ’ will be an ongoing legacy of the summer of 2013 .

* * * * Meeting with the Health Minister

In other news , at this writing , we continue to await details regarding proposed changes to the Alberta Seniors Benefit program and , particularly , its pharmaceutical provisions .

We did request and were invited to meet with Health Minister Fred Horne to discuss the proposed changes . That meeting took place on May 24 , after which we felt our concerns were well received .

In terms of the economics of the government ’ s proposals , we focused on the fact that by making seniors first payers , the plan would be a tax on the sick . Those seniors with health issues would pay the most because of their needs , while those who enjoy good health , with lower usage , would pay less . As well , we stressed that seniors , in post-retirement , lose relative financial status as pensions and allowances , by their very structure , lose ground to inflation and the cost of living , while health and care-related costs expand with aging .

Secondly , our examination of research indicated that where seniors are first payers , there are higher rates of pharmaceutical non-adherence when compared to residents in other provinces . They economize by simply not taking or reducing their medications as prescribed . We supported the belief that this non-compliance leads to increased health issues and a greater draw on much more expensive critical care resources . The result is not a saving but an increased financial demand on health care resources . Truly what results is a false economy .

We believe we had a productive session . At that time Minister Horne indicated that no plans had been finalized , and he would reflect on our positions . We offered to work with his department and share the resources that we have , which met with a positive response .

Obviously the final proposal has yet to be written . We will remain vigilant and share information as we receive it .

Autumn 2013 5