Dr. Bonnie Henry hopes to ease pandemic restrictions on gatherings in time for Family Day if the trajectory of new COVID-19 cases in the province continues downward — but for now, she said, the . . .
Expert weighs on what needs to change to enable better aging in Canada
Substantial change to Canada’s long-term support service systems is long overdue, expert says
Jan 17, 2021 7:45 AM By: The Conversation
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Canada’s population is rapidly aging, but is it aging well? In our November 2020 report “Ageing Well,” we found both good and bad news.
The good is that Canadians are living longer. Back when medicare became the backbone of our health-care system about 60 years ago, seniors made up 7.6 per cent of the population. They now constitute 17.5 per cent and will be almost 25 per cent in 2041 10.8 million people whose average age will be in the low 80s just over 20 years from now. They should all age happily and well.
Canada’s population is rapidly aging, but is it aging well? In our November 2020 report “Ageing Well,” we found both good and bad news.
The good is that Canadians are living longer. Back when medicare became the backbone of our health-care system about 60 years ago, seniors made up 7.6 per cent of the population. They now constitute 17.5 per cent and will be almost 25 per cent in 2041 10.8 million people whose average age will be in the low 80s just over 20 years from now. They should all age happily and well. (Ageing Well, Queen s University School of Policy Studies), Author provided
The bad news is that they don’t want to live in old-folks’ homes where current policy tends to put them. Also, ensuring they have the support services they need to age well will require major changes to how, where and by whom those services are provided, and change can be difficult to implement in any dimension of health care.
VANCOUVER B.C. health officials have released the province’s vaccine rollout plan after Health Canada approved the country’s second COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 23. Officials in Ottawa announced Wednesday that Health Canada has approved the Moderna vaccine for use in the country, with the first doses expected to be delivered by Christmas and distribution will initially be focused in the northern territories. “Now that Health Canada has approved the Moderna vaccine, we have the green light to start rolling it out across the country,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said during a briefing in Ottawa. “The first doses of our guaranteed 40 million dose order from Moderna will arrive in the coming days.”
Health Canada senior medical advisor Dr. Supriya Sharma said Canada will receive up to 168,000 doses before the end of December, with “more arriving early next year.”