Wednesday February 22 2023
More evidence has been found that supports the need for Canada Post to offer a Senior Check-in service. CUPW has been calling for such a program since 2016. Recently the National Institute on Ageing released a report that backs that up. The report “Special Delivery: How Canadian Postal Workers Could Better Enable Ageing in the Right Place” recommended Canada Post consider offering a check-in service to help seniors live in their own homes longer. The National Institute on Ageing is one of the most important voices in policy debates about ageing, so the report attracted lots of positive media coverage in print, on radio, and on TV.
Since 2016, we have been advocating for a seniors’ check-in service through our Delivering Community Power campaign. We’ve also brought the idea to the Corporation through Appendix “T,” where we have jointly researched other postal operators’ services for seniors.
The report and the conversations it has sparked are a good reminder of the relevance and importance of our campaign for service expansion. Medical professionals and experts on ageing see lots of value in our proposal and recognize the unique ability of our members to deliver a much-needed public service.
What Would a Senior Check-in Service Look Like?
In its simplest form, a check-in service would be a quick conversation at the customer’s door. Offering a check-in wouldn’t require a medical background. It would be more like the kind of informal interactions our members have with customers every day.
Postal workers could ask customers how they are doing or if they wanted to send any messages along to their family or care providers.
The service could take advantage of existing software to ensure customer privacy and the fast transfer of information. The check-in could be done in about the same time it takes to get a customer to sign for a registered letter or parcel.
Delivering to every address across Canada and Quebec, and enjoying high levels of public trust, no one is better positioned than postal workers to do this work.
Even a short conversation once a week would go a long way to bringing peace of mind to customers and their families. With a little bit of training, postal workers could help identify problems before they got too big. Research has shown that loneliness and social isolation are behind a huge number of health problems, especially among older adults.
Spread the Message!
This new report has given Delivering Community Power lots of momentum. It’s up to us to keep it going. We can’t help but notice that amidst all the media coverage, Canada Post has remained silent.
We encourage members to read the report and share it widely, especially with their elected officials. To learn more about how you can get involved in supporting our campaign, visit: www.deliveringcommunitypower.ca.