CANADA: Planning for old age in Niagara

. ST. CATHARINES, Ontario / The Statesman / Editorial / July 21, 2009 By Becky Day There is so much emphasis on preparing youth for the workplace and planning for retirement, but aren't we forgetting to train ourselves for those later years in life? I recently escorted a friend to a clinic where I noticed there were a lot of seniors. I remembered my grandmother saying that going from appointment to appointment was like a full-time job. It's true -- they spend a lot of time in the shop. I also just interviewed a man who turned 100. He told me "I'm all that's left." Still living at home, his biggest concern was how his grass was going to get cut. I saw a lady of 102 back in May, and my girlfriend will soon be celebrating her grandmother's 100th birthday. Being surrounded by all this maturity makes one think about the aging future. Many of us plan for careers and retirement, but most of us don't think about old age until we have to cross that bridge. I mean who wants to think about getting old, wrinkled and unwell? But maybe we should be mapping out an old-age strategy plan. With health services changing and a new hospital on the way, I wonder what will be available in 40 years when I'm 80 with blue hair and dwindling reaction time. Our aging population is one of the most discussed subjects in Canada today because we're getting older. According to Statistics Canada, life expectancy is now about 80. The aging of the population is expected to increase dramatically over the next three decades: Between 2005 and 2036, the number of seniors in Canada is projected to increase from 4.2 to 9.8 million; the seniors' share of the population is expected to almost double, increasing from 13.2 to 24.5 per cent. Folks, this is a pretty significant acceleration, and frankly, we're not ready for it. By 2016, 38 per cent of our population will be over age 50. Over the next 15 years, the share of the total Canadian population between 75 and 84 years old is projected to reach two million. The number of seniors aged 85 or older has also grown rapidly over the last two decades. St. Catharines falls near the top of cities in Canada with aging populations, very close to Victoria, B. C. Looking at these projections, perhaps we should be putting more energy into building seniors' facilities on every corner and less into two-way traffic. Perhaps we should even start mass producing rocking chairs and dentures. There are ways we can plan the level of comfort we'll have later in life, but what measures are we really taking to prepare for this big shift? A new government Aging at Home Strategy provides increased service and community living options for seniors. It offers a wide range of home care and community support services to allow people to lead independent, healthy lives on their own. This should help alleviate pressures on hospitals and long-term care facilities. Community Care Access Centres were established in 1996 by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to help the public access a range of government- funded services, information, explore options, determine eligibility, make arrangements and get on waiting lists. Long-term care insurance coverage is another thing to consider. Do you know the costs associated with long-term care? Traditionally, family and friends have cared for the elderly, but we can't all depend on that. We need to start thinking about how we're going to meet our basic needs on those lonely days when the phone never rings. It's not something we want to reflect on, but it's going to happen to all of us. And if we don't start planning now for our future, we may all have an old-age crisis on our hands. [rc] © 2009 Sun Media