Complacency In Caring For Seniors Is Not An Option
The National Advisory Council on Aging, Quebec City October 26, 2006
— (NACA) is unveiling today the results of its Seniors in Canada: 2006 Report Card at the Canadian Association on Gerontology Meeting in Quebec City. The Report Card looked at how well Canadian seniors are doing in five key areas: health status, health care system, economic situation, living conditions and participation in society. The overall grade for the five questions under study is a ‘B’.
“Although Canadian seniors enjoy relatively good health and quality of life, we must not become complacent in addressing seniors and aging issues,” said NACA Interim Chairperson Robert Dobie. “There are a number of ‘bad’ news items when we look at specific areas, for example, increased chronic diseases and obesity, high suicide rates among older senior men, the lack of geriatricians in our health care system, continued low income for certain categories of seniors, uncoordinated income-based programs that add to the burden of financial difficulties, the need for more affordable housing options, etc. An average grade of ‘B’ means that improvements are still needed,” concluded Dobie.
The 2006 Report Card reports on the situation of Canada’s seniors — based on more recent data — and examines the trends, where possible, by comparing the current situation to the one that prevailed in 2001. In consultation with gerontology experts and seniors’ organizations, NACA identified the best measures, or indicators, to evaluate how well seniors are doing in the five key policy areas, and interpreted the ‘story’ told by the evolution of these indicators over the last five years. The report identifies as well priorities for action, based on the challenges identified.
The National Advisory Council on Aging was created on May 1, 1980 to assist and advise Canada’s Minister of Health on all issues relating to the aging of the Canadian population and the quality of life of seniors.
For copies of the report, visit us at:
http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/HP30-1-2006E.pdf
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