A story that was recently reported in the Edmonton Journal by Sharon Kirkey discusses the mounting anxiety shared by Canadians about the increasing size of the senior population in Canada. The article states, “Canadians have little faith the country’s health system is prepared to handle the needs of a looming “tsunami” of aging boomers, a new poll suggests.”
Throughout the article, despite the language of impending disaster with the rise of the senior population, the real troubling feature is that so many Canadians feel that there isn’t adequate care available for seniors. This perception is held in particular by individuals who are currently or have in the past supported an elderly family member with health issues. The article cites a poll that suggests that 93 per cent of Canadians are supportive of a national senior’s health strategy for both long-term care and homecare.
The Alberta Council on Aging maintains seniors need to have access to the supports they need, particularly as the average age of the Canadian population rises. With this come the need for greater respect and value of the Seniors in Canadian society, viewing the ““tsunami” of seniors” as the article describes it, not as an impending disaster, but as a changing state of Canadian culture with as many benefits and wonderful advantages as challenges. Additionally, we believe that with those challenges comes a need to be empathic, supportive and available to all those who need assistance.
Read the article here.
