Canada isn’t ready for the needs of aging population
The lack of a federal minister with responsibility of representing seniors is short-sighted
Many seniors have a home they want to remain in but need assistance in the form of visits from personal support workers, nurses, cleaners etc. to help them maintain their independence.
The federal government has ministers for women, Indigenous people, and two ministers for youth and children. There is no ministerial representation for seniors. This lack of a minister to provide direction for programs and resources for Canada’s aging population is short-sighted. According to Statistics Canada, seniors will account for 25 per cent of the population by 2036. That figure will increase to 28 per cent by 2061. This is not a short-term problem.
According the 2016 census, there are more seniors in Canada than there are children under 14: 5.9 million seniors versus 5.8 million children under 14. This is the first time this demographic has occurred in Canada. The federal government has to recognize the need for leadership in this area and provide ministerial power to ensure it happens.
Ontario has a minister for seniors and there have been a number of programs proposed, not all of them implemented as yet. Similar to the federal government, the provincial government has many more resources focused on children than on seniors.
There are many great programs and initiatives designed to help children, from provincial daycare for 2.5-year-olds to the federal tax-free child-tax credit. These programs fill a need for children’s development and to help lift them and their families out of the debilitating depths of poverty.
The vast majority of seniors want to be healthy, happy and positive members of society, but there are many who live with the spectre of poverty. These are not spendthrifts who squandered money. They never made enough to save for retirement, and the current pensions available to them are insufficient to allow them to escape the grim life of poverty. The federal government and the provinces are working to address this problem. They need to deal with this as quickly as possible. Even people with pensions have no guarantee they will receive all of their benefits for their lifetime. Ask Hamilton steel workers and Sears staff across Canada about that.
Many seniors have a home they want to remain in but need assistance in the form of visits from personal support workers, nurses, cleaners etc. to help them maintain their independence. When these people leave their home they go to either longterm care facilities or move in with family. Long-term care is a much more expensive way to care for seniors. Moving in with family may be a viable option for some but many will not be able to live in a threegeneration household for a variety of reasons. Providing the necessary outside assistance will keep seniors in their home and out of long-term care. This is a sound economic as well as a societal argument for investing in seniors living in their own home.
In Ontario, the wait times for a longterm bed vary depending on the chosen residence and the urgency to place the person seeking care. This variable in wait times is from 15 to 1,500 days. Like all accommodation facilities, some will get a five-star rating and there are others, for whatever reason, that do not get the fivestar designation.
The cost of long term-care is subsidized to a maximum of about $1,800 per month. The subsidy does not cover the entire cost. According to an Ontario government website: “All personal and nursing care provided by long-term care homes in Ontario are funded by the government. You must pay for accommodation charges such as room and board.” The daily accommodation costs vary from approximately $1,800 to $2,600 per month.
By 2036, about 25 per cent of Canadians will be seniors. If there are no resources to help them stay healthy, happy and positive members of society, there will be a huge cost, financial and societal, for you, your children and your grandchildren to deal with.
Canada leads the G7 economies in terms of growth. Ontario added 10,000 jobs last month. We can, we must, prepare for the tidal wave of men and women who are and will become seniors in Canada.