Written By Alan Good
Tidal wave? Well perhaps a slow-moving front. However, you look at it, the number of seniors in Canada is growing at a steady rate. In fact, this growth is called by several publications, a “Tsunami of Seniors”.
Grey tsunami, silver tsunami, what the experts want us to know is, Canada officially became a “Super-Aged” nation this year, when the proportion of its population aged 65 and older surpassed 20%.
It’s a designation earned when at least 1 in 5 people reach age 65 or older. Canada joins Japan, Italy, and Germany in this category, and the demographic shift places added pressure on health care, long-term care, and social security systems as the baby boom generation continues to age.
In fact, by 2067, when Canada turns 200, older adults will be a far larger share of the population, while growth in the traditional “working age” group will be modest. But don’t panic. This isn’t a crisis. It is evidence that Canadians are living longer, healthier lives, something earlier generations could only imagine.
What may be of concern is that about 1 in 5 seniors in Canada live at or near the poverty line. High rent and everyday inflation heavily strain fixed and limited incomes, forcing some seniors to rely on food banks or struggle to pay basic utilities.
But although overall we seniors are healthy, after a time the body can break down. Older adults account for about 47% of Canada’s health care spending, frequently managing multiple complex conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. Long-term care facilities and hospitals face rising demands, staff shortages, and long wait times for specialized care.
Community support may become more strained as 90% of seniors prefer to age in their own homes, causing essential home-care service inconsistencies, particularly in rural and remote regions. Also in rural areas, half of older Canadians say they experience loneliness. Depression is common among older adults, yet access to dedicated mental health services remains low.
“Aging is a triumph, not a burden,” assures Parminder Raina, a Scientific Director of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging. “Aging is not a natural disaster; it is the predictable outcome of social progress.”
The first step, he adds, is seeing ageism, not as an unstoppable wave of destruction, but as something to be met head-on. In his article Raina suggests that society needs to stop treating seniors primarily as a cost and see what people 70-90 years of age do every day. Things like volunteer, sit grandchildren and more.
“The goal of any policy should not be to “reverse” aging, but to ensure people of all ages can live well,” he states.
He appeals for a change from the outdated system designed in the 60’s when the median age was 26, to an “equally serious investment in social care and community-based services that keep people healthier for longer and living at home at a fraction of the cost of institutional care”.
Raina provides suggestions on caring for people at home, better employment benefits for those caring for seniors, and assistance to help the younger look after their aging parents and grandparents in one home.
“We can treat our aging population as a fiscal threat or an opportunity to redesign our communities, systems and expectations for the better”.
How are we doing in the county? More next time.
