“From Conservative to Adventurous: The Surprising Freedom of Growing Older”

 One of my favorite moments came during a group discussion with some of our members in their late seventies and early eighties. We were talking about age, identity, and what it means to be a senior, when one woman shared something that has stuck with me ever since.

“When I was younger, I was fairly conservative,” she said. “But as I grew older, I became a bit more adventurous. Now I’m going to keep on adventuring until I can’t do it anymore. Life is exciting, and I enjoy it more every day.”

Her words carried so much wisdom. They shattered the stereotype that aging means retreating from life. Instead, she showed us that it can mean the opposite, embracing it more fully.

Why Do We Become More Adventurous With Age?

There’s something liberating about aging. When we’re young, we worry constantly about fitting in, pleasing others, and meeting expectations. As we grow older, those pressures fade. We no longer feel the need to prove ourselves.

Instead, many seniors embrace a new sense of freedom. They try foods they once avoided, travel to places they only dreamed about, or take up hobbies that once seemed too bold. They wear brighter colors, laugh louder, and speak their minds more freely.

This is the gift of experience, it allows us to care less about what others think and more about what makes us feel alive.

Adventure Doesn’t Have to Mean Risk

When people hear the word “adventure,” they often picture climbing mountains or skydiving. But adventure can take many forms. For one person, it’s trying a dance class. For another, it’s learning how to use technology to connect with grandchildren. For someone else, it’s traveling solo to a new country.

The common thread isn’t the scale of the activity; it’s the willingness to step outside comfort zones and embrace something new.

Small Steps Into Big Joys

I’ve seen seniors find adventure in the simplest things. A widower joining a cooking class for the first time. A woman in her late seventies learning to paint landscapes. A retired couple trying karaoke on a Friday night.

Each of these moments may seem small, but together they weave a life rich with discovery and joy.

The Courage to Keep Going

Of course, aging brings challenges. Loss, health issues, and changes in mobility are real. But adventure is not about ignoring those realities, it’s about choosing to keep going in spite of them.

The woman who spoke at our meeting understood this deeply. Having lost her husband, she could have withdrawn. Instead, she chose to embrace new experiences and find excitement in the everyday.

A Lesson for All of Us

Her message is a reminder: growing older doesn’t mean growing smaller. It means expanding into new possibilities. It means giving ourselves permission to do the things we once hesitated to try.

And perhaps most importantly, it means recognizing that every day is still an adventure, if we choose to see it that way.

Senior Center what is their role?

 As humans, we are inherently social creatures, and our need for socialization and community engagement is a fundamental aspect of our well-being. For children, schools provide a platform for learning not only academic subjects but also essential socialization skills that help them navigate through life.

These experiences lay the foundation for our ability to build relationships and work collaboratively throughout our lives. For many of us, the workplace later becomes a central hub for social interaction, fulfilling our need to be part of a community until retirement.

In retirement, the need for social engagement and community doesn't diminish; it transforms. Senior centers emerge as crucial institutions for older adults, offering opportunities reminiscent of those provided by schools in our youth. Just as schools are pivotal for children's education, socialization, and recreation, senior centers fulfill these roles for older adults.

Education at senior centers takes on various forms. While schools focus on academic learning, senior centers provide lifelong learning opportunities. Senior centers often provide classes, workshops, and lectures on topics such as health and wellness, technology, and hobbies. These classes help seniors continue to grow intellectually. This continuous learning keeps the mind sharp and can provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment. In terms of education, schools provide a structured environment for children to learn and develop new skills, whereas senior centers offer a more informal and flexible approach to lifelong learning. While schools focus on preparing children for future careers, senior centers focus on empowering seniors to maintain their independence, stay connected with their community, and continue to grow and learn.

Socialization is another key aspect where the parallels between schools and senior centers are evident. Schools teach children how to interact with others, build friendships, and develop essential communication and teamwork skills. Senior centers, on the other hand, offer a space for seniors to connect with others who share similar interests, experiences, and challenges. This social interaction is crucial for seniors' mental and emotional well-being, helping to combat loneliness, isolation, and depression. These social interactions are vital for mental health, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation, which are common concerns among the elderly.

Recreation is also an essential aspect of both schools and senior centers. Schools provide opportunities for children to engage in physical activities, sports, and extracurricular clubs, which help them develop new skills, build confidence, and have fun. Senior centers mirror these opportunities through fitness classes, dance lessons, gardening clubs, and various recreational activities tailored to different interests and physical abilities. These activities promote physical health and provide joy and a sense of belonging.

Schools and senior centers serve different purposes, they share a common goal of promoting socialization, education, and recreation. Senior centers play a vital role in supporting the well-being and quality of life of seniors, and it is essential that we recognize their importance and provide adequate funding to ensure their continued operation and growth.

Therefore, I strongly advocate for increased funding for senior centers. This funding would enable senior centers to expand their services, hire more staff, and provide more programs and activities that cater to the diverse needs and interests of seniors. Specifically, funding could be allocated to:

Given the significant role that senior centers play in the lives of older adults, it is crucial to advocate for increased funding for these institutions. Enhanced funding would allow senior centers to

·       expand their programs, reach more individuals, and provide a wider range of services.

·       Hire more instructors and staff to lead classes and activities

·       Expand the range of programs and services offered, such as health and wellness programs, technology classes, and art programs

·       Improve the physical infrastructure of senior centers, including accessibility and safety features

·       Support outreach and marketing efforts to reach more seniors and promote the services and programs offered by senior centers

Furthermore, increased funding could also help in creating partnerships with local organizations, fostering a more integrated community network that benefits seniors.

Investing in senior centers is an investment in the well-being of our aging population. Just as we recognize the importance of funding education for the young, we must also prioritize the needs of our seniors, ensuring they have access to enriching, supportive environments. Enhanced funding for senior centers would acknowledge the value of our seniors' experiences and contributions, promoting a dignified and fulfilling retirement. By investing in senior centers, we can help ensure that seniors have access to the resources and support they need to live healthy, engaged, and fulfilling lives.

Telling your story

 Many seniors want to tell their life stories but have no one to listen. A friend of mine is doing some research for one of the Aboriginal nations and she is, as part of the research, interviewing seniors and having them tell their life stories. She said that the seniors love to tell their stories and even though the generation she is interviewing was part of the residential school problem we had in Canada, their stories are upbeat and full of hope.

I was thinking about the rest of us, who do not have a researcher willing to listen and transcribe our stories and thought there must be several ways to help seniors share their life stories and ensure that they have someone to listen to them. Here are some ideas I came up with:

Create a family history project and encourage others to share their stories with their family members and create a family history project. This can be as a photo album, a scrapbook, or a digital presentation. This can be a great way for us to share our stories with our loved ones and pass on our legacy.

Many senior centers offer programs where volunteers can spend time with seniors and listen to their stories. This can be a great way for us to feel heard and appreciated, and it can also provide valuable social interaction for both us and the volunteers.

Memoir writing groups provide a supportive environment for seniors to write and share their stories. We can find these groups in local community centers or libraries.

We can record their stories using audio or video recording devices. This can be a great way to preserve their stories for future generations.

Some of us may benefit from talking to a professional counselor or therapist. This can provide us with a safe and confidential space to share our life stories and to work through any emotions or issues that may arise.

Overall, it’s important to remember that we have valuable life experiences and stories to share, and it’s important to ensure that we feel heard and appreciated.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is June 15.

The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) happens each year on June 15th. It was officially recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011 following a request by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) who first established the commemoration in June 2006. It represents the one day in the year when the whole world voices its opposition to the abuse and the suffering inflicted on some of our older generations.

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) activities are intended to bring greater recognition of abuse and neglect of older adults in British Columbia or wherever they live and to highlight the need for prevention and community involvement in a response to the issue. The Association of Community Response Networks www.bccrns.ca work to give abuse and neglect of seniors a relevance that will sustain and move prevention efforts forward throughout the year and for years to come.

The Iris is the symbol of WEAAD--and the colour purple. Notice all the public buildings that will be lit up in purple on June 15th--city halls, bridges, and more. If your city or area does not light up perhaps this is a good time to talk to the policymakers and the politicians about the importance of protecting seniors from abuse.

Worldwide Statistics 2020

•   Adult abuse is an important public health problem. A World Health Organization 2017 study based on the best available evidence from 52 studies in 28 countries from diverse regions, including 12 low- and middle-income countries, estimated that, over the past year, 15.7% of people (approximately 1 in 6) aged 60 years and older were subjected to some form of abuse.

•   Rates of elder abuse are high in institutions such as nursing homes and long-term care facilities, with 2 in 3 staff reporting that they have committed abuse in the past year.

•   Rates of abuse have increased dramatically during the COVID pandemic.

•   Only 1 in 24 cases of elder abuse is reported, in part because older people are often afraid to report cases of abuse to family, friends, or to the authorities.

•   13-year a follow-up study found that victims of elder abuse are twice more likely to die prematurely than people who are not victims of elder abuse.

•   By the year 2050, the global population of people aged 60 years and older will more than double, to about 2 billion. If the proportion of elder abuse victims remains constant, the number of victims will increase rapidly due to population ageing, growing to 320 million victims by 2050.

Canada-wide Statistics 2020

•   Nearly 4% of victims of family violence were 65 years or older.

•   Nearly 61% of incidents of elder abuse were physical assaults against older adults, and 21% involved threats.

•   34% of older adults were victimized by a family member. o Among women victims, 33% were victimised by their spouse and 31% by their grown child.

•   In comparison, among men, the victim's grown child was the most common perpetrator.

British Columbia Statistics 2020

•      The BC211 Helpline received 347 calls about elder abuse in  

        2019/20. Phone or text 2-1-1 for Help.

•      There were 2,138 suspected cases of abuse in 2019 reported to       Designated Agencies; 83% were for seniors aged 65 or older.

•      The Public Guardian and Trustee received 1,723 referrals in               2019/20; 40% proceeded to investigation.

•      The Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) received 5,558 

        calls in 2019, 28% were related to abuse.

Senior Centers are needed 1

As President of our local senior center, I understand that social participation is a central component of the activities and programs we run. Over the last few months, one of the programs I have participated in is an outreach to our older members. In my conversations with these members, they tell me what they miss most is the social component. My counterparts in adjacent communities have different programs and services, we all strive to provide opportunities for social participation and interaction.

Our senior centre like many is designed to promote health and provide a community focal point on ageing by enabling older adults to come together for services and activities that enhance their dignity, support their independence and encourage their involvement in and with the community. We provide services to support older adults including health and social support services, subsidized meals, and information and referrals. In addition, we offer a wide range of programs including fitness, recreation, nutrition, education, and volunteer activities, designed to enhance social participation and promote health and well-being. Our center is different than others in the Tri-Cities area and we all vary in terms of the services and programs that offered, and they range in size, facilities, and program focus. This diversity reflects, in part, a response to the different needs of their members, as well as the size and source of their funding from each community.

There is research (Aday, 2003; Pardasani and Thompson, 2010; Strain, 2001), that suggests older adults who attend senior centres differ from those who do not in that they tend to be: 

•      more likely to be single, widowed or living alone

•      female

•      between the ages of 75-84; participation tends to decline into very old age as the likelihood of frailty and physical limitations increases

•      relatively healthier

The benefits of senior centre participation

Evidence suggests that senior centres promote the health and well-being of older adults through the provision of health and support services, by encouraging active and healthy aging, and by providing a social environment that is conducive to social participation and well-being (Aday, Kehoe & Farney, 2006; Fitzpatrick, McCabe, Gitelson, & Andereck, 2005).

Social benefits

Senior centres protect older adults against the negative health consequences associated with social isolation by providing: 

•       friendships (Aday, Kehoe, & Farney, 2006)

•       social support (Fitzpatrick, Gitelson, Andereck, & Mesbur, 2005)

•       social networks (Ashida and Heaney, 2008)

•       social inclusion (Moody and Phinney, 2012)

Physical health benefits

There is a growing body of research investigating the relationship between senior centre participation and health.

Fitzpatrick, Gitelson, Andereck, and Mesbur (2005) study of participants at 2 senior centres in Ontario, indicated that social support received from friends or staff at the senior centre had a significant positive impact on participants’ perceptions of their physical health.

Mental health benefits

Research on senior centres suggests that participation is also associated with   a variety of mental health benefits.

Choi and McDougall (2007) compared depressive symptoms between homebound older adults and those attending senior centres. The authors found significantly higher rates of depression among homebound older adults compared to older adults who participated in senior centres.

Overall, the research on senior centres and mental health suggests that mental health benefits are related to the social environment and the social support that older adults access through senior centres. By fostering the exchange of social support, senior centres protect older adults against the negative health impacts associated with social isolation.

Senior centres and health promotion

Studies have also evaluated the effectiveness and the impact of health promotion interventions conducted within senior centres.

A senior centre-based nutrition intervention showed the reported consumption of at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily increased by 21% (Hendrix et al., 2008).

Krieger et al. (2000) conducted a randomized control trial of a senior centre-based program designed to increase pneumococcal and influenza immunization rates in older adults. The program used an educational mailing and tracking and outreach by volunteers from the senior centre. The intervention significantly increased immunization rates.

In sum, research on health interventions suggests that senior centres can be effective venues for health promotion and prevention programs designed for older adults. Senior centres commonly have members who attend on a regular basis, a volunteer base, and a social environment that is conducive to information sharing and peer support (Krieger et al., 2000). On the other hand, challenges to implementing health promotion and prevention programs include low staffing, lack of facilities or resources, as well as cultural and communication barriers (Baker, Gottschalk, & Bianco, 2007).

International day of the older person

 As you may know, October 1 is designated the International Day of Older Persons across the world.  (On December 14, 1990, the United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons.)  The theme of the 2020 commemoration is “Pandemics:  Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?”. 

The following is from the United Nations page on the International Day of Older Persons.

Pandemics: Do They Change How We Address Age and Ageing?

The year 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations and the 30th Anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. This year has also seen an emergence of COVID-19, which has caused upheaval across the world. Considering the higher risks confronted by older persons during the outbreak of pandemics such as COVID-19, policy and programmatic interventions must be targeted towards raising awareness of their special needs. Recognizing older person contributions to their own health and the multiple roles they play in the preparedness and response phases of current and future pandemics is also important.

 This year has also been recognized as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”. International Day of Older Persons 2020 will highlight the role of the health care workforce in contributing to the health of older persons, with special recognition of the nursing profession, and a primary focus on the role of women - who are relatively undervalued and in most cases inadequately compensated.

 The 2020 observance will also promote The decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030) and help bring together UN experts, civil society, government and the health professions to discuss the five strategic objectives of the Global Strategy and Action plan on Ageing and Health while noting the progress and challenges in their realization. The global strategy is well-integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs), while ageing issues cut across the 17 goals, especially Goal 3 which aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of all at all ages”. As stated by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Director-General, WHO) “acting on the strategy, is a means for countries to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ensure that every human being regardless of age will have an opportunity to fulfill their potential in dignity and equality”

The 2020 theme aims to:

Inform participants about the strategic objectives for the Decade of Healthy Ageing.

Raise awareness of the special health needs of older persons and of their contributions to their own health and to the functioning of the societies in which they live.

Increase awareness and appreciation of the role of the health care workforce in maintaining and improving the health of older persons, with special attention to the nursing profession

Present proposals for reducing the health disparities between older persons in the developed and developing countries, so as to “Leave no one behind”.

Increase understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on older persons and its impact on health care policy, planning, and attitudes

Town Hall on Senior's issues

I recently went to a Town Hall of Senior's Issues, and I thought the event was interesting as it addressed many of the topics I talk about here. So I thought I would share my notes.

ISSUES RAISED BY THE MP

Seniors caregivers and family are going to their MP’s and MLA’s for assistance and needed access to Medical, dental housing. There has been an increase in OAS but only for those over 75 to help some seniors.

ISSUES RAISED BY THE SENIOR CENTRE

There appears to be a downloading of services from Service Canada to Senior Centers who are using volunteers to help seniors with issues with their GIS, Old Age Security, Medical and Disability forms and Income Tax. There is a dramatic increase in the number of homeless seniors in the area, making affordable housing a priority. Vancouver defines affordable rent as $1647.00 a month.

The trend to digitizing services, (finding, using and paying for services) at the local, the provincial and federal level is causing hardship for seniors, who, cannot afford computers, or the internet or do not have the digital literacy required to use these tools.

ISSUES RAISED BY Council Of Senior Citizens Organization of BC

Issue of the number of medications being used by seniors and the costs associated with these medications. The issue around who will decide what drugs are available for seniors being left to a committee of Economists and Civil Servants who until asked by COSCO and the Federal Pensioners Association did not consider any issues of medications that seniors might have. COSCO in their conference in October will be addressing the issue of ageism

ISSUES RAISED BY MOSAIC

41%of all seniors in BC are immigrants according to MOSAIC. These seniors have issues with Language causes barriers to socialization, integration, getting housing, medical and other services they need. They also are more likely to suffer Elder Abuse

ISSUES RAISED BY SERVICES CANADA

Services Canada cannot by regulation help seniors fill out forms they need to access a range of services, they can help by answering questions. This has led to the belief that Services Canada is downloading its work to Senior Centers. Services Canada will come to seniors’ centers to talk to groups about how to best access their services. One hint is given if you have to phone any federal government office phone on Wednesday or Thursday after 2:00 if you are in the West. Also, if you get a “Busy signal, dial 10 and you will be put back to the main menu, may save to do these five or six times to get into the cue, but you still have a long wait

ISSUES RAISED BY QUESTIONS FROM SENIORS AT THE MEETING

There were issues raised about:

·         Isolation

·         Access to information about programs

·         How do people with dementia can get help?

·         Ageism in the healthcare system and the issue of no longer having a yearly medical check up.

·         The disability tax credit

·         OAS and GIS not being tied to inflation

·         Affordable housing

·         National Pharmacare and what it would look like and when it might be implemented.

Senior Centers

I have a new role; I am the president of our local senior center advisory board. So, I thought I would look at the role Senior centers play to help keep us healthy and active. First, senior centers are a great place to stay healthy and to find volunteering opportunities and make new friends.

Health and fitness are where senior centers have really expanded in recent years. In addition to traditional programs like aerobics, Zumba, yoga, and Tai Chi, many senior centers now offer evidence-based health programs that have been scientifically proven to make people healthier. My center offers drop-in programs that range from Chair Fitness to Yoga

We also offer regularly scheduled blood pressure and Foot Care/Podiatry Clinic but some others offer glucose screenings. These clinics can replace tedious trips to a medical clinic for those simple procedures.

We are a membership-based organization with over 1,000 members, with oversight by the advisory board on which I serve. This is no different than most senior community centers. Each Center has a set of municipally driven policies and access points. Many of the seniors who joined our center are also members of other centres and attend programs based on their interests. In my community, there are three other senior centers and some of our members have suggested better communication and cooperation between the municipal centres, which is something I will look into this year.

One of the main roles of a senior center is to provide the opportunity for seniors to be connected. Social isolation among seniors has been the subject of prominent public inquiries such as by Canada’s National Seniors Council, and the U.S. Senate Aging Committee. A widely-cited study determines that the negative health impact of social isolation is equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day. Both urban and rural communities across the continent have struggled on what to do about social isolation among seniors.

In the U.K., the government even appointed a “Minister of Loneliness” due to the health impacts of social isolation. It is clear that government policymakers already understand the costs of social isolation. Now we need to convince them of the benefit of investing in initiatives that enhance the quality of life among frail and elderly seniors.

The impact on a senior’s ability to remain in their community may make a difference in the person’s ability to age in place, which is an important goal. The list was based primarily on comments from services providers but was confirmed by seniors themselves. There are three factors that may hinder a senior’s ability, these are:

1. Early-stage dementia may be misdiagnosed or seen by family and friends as forgetfulness, suspicion, fear of strangers or denial that anything is wrong and no help is needed

2. A reluctance to ask for or accept help

3. Fear of change

In a report published in 2013 on senior issues in my community, the author stated: There are 5 municipalities that offer different levels of support, have a mix of older and newer housing. The limited number of services available are unevenly distributed throughout the region. Many seniors, some quite a bit older than others, reported that they were doing well and did not require any assistance at this time. 

At some point in most of the conversations, the issue of access to information about services and the coordination of these services was raised. The report also found that most seniors do not know what services are available in my area. I hope that over the next two years that our Board will take steps to address this issue.

Seniors of Canada Website

Every now and then there are very positive stories that catch your attention. This is one The Seniors of Canada website is a vehicle that gives seniors the ability to tell their stories. Here is what the website authors say on their “About us page”. This is a site worth more than one visit. On this website, you’ll see and read the photos and stories of seniors in the Hamilton Community including a Seniors of Canada initiative: Iconic Ageing. We hope you enjoy seeing the project and that it challenges your notions about ageism and the ageing process.

Hamilton umbrella, undergraduate students had the opportunity to take pictures and gather stories from iconic places and seniors in Hamilton. Through this initiative titled ‘Iconic Ageing’, a collaboration with Associate Dean in the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University, Dr. James Gillett and his students went out and engaged, organize & documented the narratives from seniors at ‘iconic’ places in Hamilton, Ontario for his course on “Representations of Health and Illness Across the Life Course”.

As graduate students in the field of ageing, we often find ourselves so immersed in the theoretical and empirical content of our field, that the very subject of our interest—older people—becomes peripheral to our everyday work. Importantly, it has recently come to our attention that with the demographic shift, innovative initiatives to tackle stereotypes of ageing and ageism have yet to be made. In a ‘Humans of New York’ fashion we thought that by providing snapshots of the everyday lives of Hamilton’s older people, beyond the extremes and picturesque ideals promoted by the media, one will be able to view what seniors really look like and hear their stories, in a manner void of negative or positive connotations.

In May 2017, Members of the Gilbrea Student Group at McMaster University successfully received a Student Proposals for Intellectual Community & Engaged Scholarship (SPICES) grant with the goal to represent ageing as it truly is. A true passion project for our group, we hoped to conquer ageism, mitigate the stereotypes associated with ageing and shine a light on the everyday lives of seniors in the Hamilton community. We think we’ve done our goal justice.

We began the project with a focus group, where five seniors from the community gave us their input on our initial ideas, name and goals of the project. We got wonderful and encouraging feedback, and used that to move forward, ensuring that we maintained our goal of representing seniors the way they wanted to be represented.

We then met with seniors at a time and place of their choosing, and listened to their stories and took their photos. We met all of them somewhere that was an everyday part of their lives, at events, somewhere they enjoyed being, where they would want to be captured or doing something they loved. We asked questions about their lives and about what ageing means to them. We then distributed these images on our social media to reach as many and this photobook is the result of those meetings, stories, and photos.

Our final goal was to showcase our project in a photo-exhibit event in the heart of Hamilton, where the public was welcome to come and see the everyday lives and stories of people in their community.

Over the past year, the Seniors of Canada team has been putting together images and stories of some amazing seniors in the Hamilton area, and it’s finally time for everyone to see what we’ve been working so hard on. And now we’re here, presenting our pictures and stories in a book that sums up the spirit of our project; that ageing is a natural part of life and that being a senior doesn’t make your life or story any less valuable or interesting.

A new-Age-well initiative doomed to fail

My university announced a new AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub unveiled this week at SFU's Surrey campus will address ageing challenges through digital technologies aimed at improving seniors' quality of life. The hub will benefit from $3.5 million announced by Western Economic Diversification Canada during its launch.

The AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub: Digital Health Circle will bring communities and experts together to tackle age-related challenges, support partnerships to create real-world solutions, develop talent to meet the needs of B.C.’s tech businesses and help older adults in B.C. and across Canada live well. 

“Our aim is to leverage the extensive resources already established in B.C. to spur the development of technologies and services in the digital health sector,” says Andrew Sixsmith, scientific co-director of AGE-WELL and an SFU gerontology professor. “The new ideas that are generated and products created will benefit older people and caregivers right across Canada.”
The hub will also help B.C. companies, community and academic partners design solutions that fit the needs of their users and stakeholders. 

Leading the Digital Health Circle’s team of experts is Sylvain Moreno, an associate professor of professional practice at SFU’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT), who specializes in neuro-technologies related to interactive digital media and brain health solutions.

“The Digital Health Circle’s focus on translating knowledge into new technologies is essential for British Columbia to strengthen our research and innovation while growing the health technology sector in B.C.," says Moreno. "The hub will coalesce these objectives to deliver real impact and improvement to the ageing population in B.C."

Sounds great, but this appears to me to be another initiative that does not have any seniors working with them. I could be wrong but when I tried to find out information on the net I was led to press release documents that did not have any useful information about the team that SFU has working on this project. The information about them showed that they had great academic qualifications but they were all looked below the age of 50.

Any program that purports to deliver real impact and improvement to help "the ageing population" that does not have seniors represented on its staff or on its planning board, is wasting its time. I am sure the young people (under the age of 60) at SFU think that they are/will be doing great things but they are, in my humble opinion wasting their time unless they start to listen to seniors and those seniors have some voice in the setting of objectives.

There are too many programs and agencies out there that have a very paternalistic view of seniors, this attitude is, to me evident, in this latest announcement from SFU. The University will make money and the scholars will deliver great papers that will not be read or used by seniors because there appears to be no path to reach seniors. 

Are you an Elder, a Senior or Old?

Those were the days, my friend. We were young and gave no thought to growing old. As my generation grows older we still fight the idea that we are growing old. 

There is an attempt by many to change the way we refer to people of a certain age. Older, Elder, Senior, which label to you like? Some other terms for being old that I have heard are “Oldster”, “Vintage”, “Golden Ager”, “Third Ager”, “Older Adult”, “The Silent Generation”, “War Babies”, “Boomer”, “Seasoned Citizens”, “Autumnal”, “mid-century vintage”. I heard one person respond by saying, ‘I'm an"ibaallt", meaning "I've been living a long, long time.” Another person said, “I am xx years young.” and “I have been around a long time”

The problem with all of the above terms is they are labels and labels change and evolve, and once labels that were acceptable become negative. We use labels to help us identify those who are different than us. The issue is, of course, that we will all grow old. Using labels can be a form of ageism.  Some of us think ageism is not real or is not important. I have friends who say “Age is not important, it is just a number. Well, it is if you are in a comfortable position, but I know there are many out there who, because of their age, cannot get a good job, or have been fired because of their age.

I was talking to a younger person and they asked me how old I was, and I told them. They said, “Congratulations you should be proud”. I wondered for what, living, or for living for so long? Today, I am alive, I am healthy, that is a fact and that could change in a flash. The reason I am alive probably has to do more with genetics than what I have done or how I have lived. I wondered why anyone would be proud of being any age. If I was to ask a person who was 19, or 40 or 55, were they proud of their age, I think I would get a shocked look and no answer. All ages are equally valid. Unless we die young, we each go through all of them. There is nothing unique or special about a certain age compared to another.

Changing the words, we use to express age, will not make ageism go away, but it may help society overcome that prejudice, but it will be a slow process as our society is still in love with the idea of staying young.

When does old apply to you? I believe that being old means someone who is at least 10 years older than me. However, others may not hold that view. I like what Ronnie Bennett over at “Time Goes By”, said “Oh just stop it. Everyone, stop it. If you are asking the question about when being old “kicks in”, you're there.”

So I will leave you with a couple of question, now that “you are there”, what does that mean to you, and how do you refer to yourself?

Senior Bill of Rights

Sometimes when you and your parent are partnering for their care, it seems like an “us against the world” situation.  But since the person you are caring for has very little fight left in them, it seems it’s up to you to make sure that your mom or dad get all they have coming.  Just because a person becomes a senior doesn’t mean their fundamental rights go away.  We deserve and should expect to be treated with respect and for those serving them to live up to expectations.

But just as it was before your parent became a senior a right must be claimed to be a right.  So, while there is no formal “Senior Bill of Rights”, there are laws on the books about how nursing homes must treat seniors.  And even if your mom or dad is in an assisted care facility and not a nursing home, there are some basic expectations that were in that contract and that are fundamentally assumed that the facility will live up to.  And it's up to you as the caregiver to make sure they are living up to what is expected of them.

First of all, the facility your parents, uncle, aunt live at should be reliable to provide the basics of safety and cleanliness.  Look at the evacuation plan for the facility in the event of a fire or another emergency that would mean getting your parent out of the building.  Is it a plan that is clear and is it workable considering the entire facility is full of elderly who may not move very quickly?  And what about emergency power?  In the event of an emergency where the power goes off early, is there emergency backup power to operate elevators and automatic doors so everyone can get out?

If the facility offers food service as part of their package of services and if there is a charge for that service, there is a basic expectation that there will be meals made available three times a day, that it will be healthy food and that your parent will never be denied service.  It is also not out of line to expect that the food could be delivered to the senior citizens' rooms if your parent is ill or injured.  And your parent should be able to get some variety in their diet.   If they are not doing a good job of making foods that your parents like to eat, they shouldn’t be making that additional charge for food service.

As we mentioned earlier, your parent didn’t lose his or her rights as an individual when they move into an assisted care facility.  If your parent is paying to use that apartment, they have a right to live as they please in there.  Within certain constraints, because they are in a community setting such as keeping the noise down after bedtime and the like, your parent should be able to do what he or she wants to do in the privacy of their home without the interference from others in the community or from the staff of the complex.  This includes receiving guests, allowing family or friends to sleep over, how the apartment is decorated and what kind of music your parent enjoys.

A right that really cannot be detailed but can be felt dramatically is your parent’s right to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.  This is an intangible but how the staff of the facility treats the resident’s means a lot to your parent when they see these people every day.  It's not out of line to expect the staff and management of the facility to know your parent’s names and greet them warmly when they come down to eat or go to a social event. 

If the staff of the facility has to work directly with your parent, it should be done respectfully and pleasantly.  If your parent reports verbal or emotional abuse going on by the staff, that is cause for you to investigate it and hold that facility to accountability for that problem. 

Remember the old saying that the squeaking wheel gets the oil.   So, if the facility needs to be reminded of their responsibilities, you be that squeaky wheel.  Squeak loud and squeak often so your parent can live in a place where they enjoy their days and feel that this is a place they can genuinely call home.

10 Simple Steps to making friends

Isolation and loneliness are worrisome for seniors as they age.  Staying socially active is important for all of us as we age. An active social life helps seniors connect and contribute to their community, maintain their sense of identity and self-worth, and gain greater happiness, in addition, seniors who have friends and have an active social life tend to have fewer unhealthy behaviors. However, over time many of us have lost the ability to meet new friends that we had when we were young.

As children and young adults, we learned how to make friends. As we age, death and disabilities take away many of these friends. We often need to relearn some social skills and that can be very challenging for shy people. I have my own technique for making friends but I recently came across this resource called 10 Simple Steps and found that most of the techniques I use are listed, but there were a few that I had not thought of for making friends. 

10 Simple Steps are for those who would like more friends in their lives and are not quite sure how to find them. Remember, you don’t have to do all these. Change can be difficult at any time of life, especially if a person is shy.  

These steps were developed by a group of seniors who had experienced a loss of a spouse or lost their social networks due to caregiving or other circumstances. These people created the Social Skills For Shy Seniors as part of the Eldercare Foundation’s Seniors’ Dialogues program.  Give these tips a try, or pass them on to someone you think might benefit from them.  Life is better when you have friends to talk to!

Canada Needs a National Seniors Strategy

This is written in support of the CMA of Canada and their campaign for a National Seniors Strategy. I received this email from the Canadian Medical Association of Canada and I thought I would share.

Today Sunday, October 1, is National Seniors Day in Canada. While we reflect on the countless contributions made by our seniors over the years to help build this country, let’s remind ourselves – and everyone who will listen – that they deserve better

You’ve heard the stories. From accessing medication to proper long-term care services, our health care system was not designed to meet the needs of an ageing population. As such, we must now work together to create and implement a national vision for senior’s care in Canada.

Therefore, we ask you to share a letter with your elected officials, your friends and family in your community and help us build this movement, which is already 51,000 strong, and call on our federal government for a commitment to our seniors.

Providing the best care for our seniors should not be an ambitious goal. Our seniors deserve better and we must work together to get there.

Thank you,

Canadian Medical Association

Some musings on being an aging boomer

I don’t do volunteer work, because of the commitment of time. Now it is not the time commitment but the regular commitment of time. I worked all my life, and I have been retired for 25 years and I value my time. I don’t like the idea of having to commit on a regular basis to one activity, not even golfing with my friends.

I was giving a workshop to the SOB (Some Old Boys Club) on Licencing Issues for Seniors and I was talking to one of the members before the workshop. We had been talking about retirement and I had said, I was so busy that I had been forced to start keeping a schedule.

He then talked about how he respected those who volunteered but that because he did not like to be tied down he would not volunteer. He also said that his wife had decided to volunteer at the local hospital but when she went to the orientation meeting and talked to the staff, she quickly realized that she too, did not want to be tied to a specific schedule. The hospital did not offer any flexible options, so she is not volunteering.

The idea of not volunteering because of time commitment is one I have heard before and one that is a legitimate concern of many seniors. We have worked for over 30 years tied to time schedules and time commitments controlled by others; in retirement we are now in control of our own time and we value our time, and we are suspicious of giving up our use of our time to others.

If you ask people who are not retired, the freedom from work, usually means, if you drill deeper, the freedom to do what they want, when they want. So if people want seniors to volunteer they need to take a flexible approach to scheduling, if they cannot then they will lose many potential volunteers.

My volunteer activities with COSCO Health and Wellness Institute, give me the freedom to choose when I volunteer, it is very flexible, a fact I enjoy.

The other issue that many organizations that work with seniors are faced with is the name senior. I do not think of myself as a senior, I prefer the term sonic boomer, many of my friends call themselves boomers. At a recent conference I was at, a number of organizations said they were considering removing the term senior from their name.

Boomers have always seen themselves as a unique group, we try to defy labels that define us by age or by any other term. The early boomers have reached 70 years and we see the it as the new 50. A friend of mine said that his doctor told him that a 70-year-old today is healthier than a 50-year-old was 20 years ago. I tend to believe him. We are living longer, and we are healthier and cannot see ourselves as seniors. So to attract the boomers to become volunteers or members many seniors’ organizations are changing their name and their approach to engaging my generation. This is a good thing as we need to keep active and involved to bring about change.

October 1 is National Seniors Day!

Seniors have and continue to play a critical role in building the country we proudly call home. National Seniors Day is a chance to celebrate our amazing contribution. But it’s also an opportunity to recognize the very real challenges we face when it comes to health care.

In Canada, the proportion of seniors will double over the next 20 years, while the group aged 85 and older is set to quadruple. By 2036, seniors are expected to make up 25 per cent of the population. We need a truly national approach to delivering and paying for the care that aging Canadians deserve and need.

That’s why, on #NationalSeniorsDay, I am asking you to share the DemandaPlan campaign with your family and friends. The more Canadians speaking with one voice on seniors issues, the louder our call. Help improve seniors care in Canada today!

Share The Campaign Today!

Together, we can give Canada’s seniors the care they deserve.

Are Seniors using the programs effectively

Are these programs for seniors being optimally used by those who are eligible for them and who could benefit from them?

  

A senior’s ability to age in place relies to a great degree on the affordability, appropriateness and accessibility of their accommodation as well as the availability of supports to assist them as they age.

The survey asked seniors several questions about their awareness and usage of programs designed to provide support for aging. There are a number of provincial and federal programs in place that help seniors to afford the costs of home adaptations to increase accessibility.

One example is the provincial Home Adaptations for Independence (HAFI) program. Overall, few seniors responding to the survey reported awareness of such programs (31 per cent).

Though the survey did not track usage rates, and only one in ten seniors had made any adaptations to their homes either with or without financial assistance, younger seniors were almost twice as likely to know of the existence of such assistance programs than older seniors.

The provision of personal care or home support can also help a senior age in place. However, the seniors responding to the survey reported a low incidence of receiving help or care from others for problems relating to aging in the past year: overall, only 14 per cent reported receiving such care, with half of those seniors reporting receiving fewer than two hours of care in an average week.

Not surprisingly, older seniors who were surveyed are in receipt this type of care almost three times more frequently, but do not tend to have more hours of help. The seniors surveyed in the Northern Health Authority were the least likely to receive help or care from others, while the seniors in the Interior Health Authority tended to receive more intense care; they were three times more likely to have seven or more hours of care per week than those in any other health authorities.

Seniors’ Perceptions of their Health and Future Care Needs

The seniors responding to the survey were generally positive about their current health and optimistic about their future needs. 85 per cent of the seniors rated their health as ”excellent”, “very good”, or “good” -- despite the fact that one in five had been admitted to a hospital emergency room within the past 12 months. Less than 3 per cent of the seniors considered themselves to be in poor health.

However, seniors in the Northern Health Authority were much less likely to rate their health as “excellent” or “good” and were more than three times as likely as seniors in the other Health Authorities to consider their health as “poor”. Income level was also found to have a dramatic effect on reported health. Seniors in the higher income brackets, with household incomes of more than $60,000, were almost twice as likely to rate their health as “excellent” or “very good” as those with household incomes of less than $30,000. Indeed, a full 29 per cent of low-income seniors rated their health as “fair” or “poor”, compared to only 7 per cent of higher income seniors.

The survey asked seniors to look ahead to their future housing and health care needs. When asked whether they thought they may need to move at some time in the future, the seniors surveyed were split, with just over half saying “yes”, a third saying “no”, and the remainder stating that they didn’t know.

Interestingly, older seniors were less likely to believe they would need to move, and seniors in the Northern Health Authority, residing in the most remote parts of the province, were also less likely to hold that belief. Health care needs were one of the main reasons seniors felt they may need to move as they age. About half of the seniors surveyed indicated that a move could be prompted by future health care needs, and almost a third felt that their current home would have accessibility issues.

A quarter felt that financial barriers would prevent their staying in their current homes. Transportation barriers and the distance from family members and other support systems were also concerns for seniors. Among the lower-income seniors surveyed, future health care needs and housing affordability were bigger concerns than among higher income groups, which is in keeping with both their financial status and the poorer health they reported

The results of the survey yielded some surprises.

Overall, the seniors surveyed reported low levels of awareness of some of the key programs currently in place to support them, indicating that important information is not getting to those who need it most.

It is particularly worrying that those least aware were in the oldest age bracket, and indicated the lowest incomes, as these are the seniors most vulnerable and in need of services to support and care for them.

The GIS, MSP Premium Assistance, SAFER rent subsidy, home adaptation grants and PharmaCare are long standing programs aimed directly at low-income seniors, and yet the survey would appear to indicate these benefits are not always reaching their intended target.

This is a reminder that it is not sufficient to provide supports; we must also connect seniors directly to those programs and services.

It was troubling to learn how many seniors believe they will need to move because of affordability. Of the respondents with incomes of less than $30,000, 36 per cent of seniors reported they felt they will have to move in the future because they will no longer be able to afford their current living arrangements.

Also critically important, is the number of low-income seniors who are not covered by a benefits program to assist with health needs such as dental care, vision aids, and hearing aids. The survey indicated 65 per cent of low-income respondents reported no coverage for these ancillary health care needs.

These facts help to highlight challenges faced by low-income seniors in B.C.

The information from this survey deals with seniors in B.C. Canada, however I suspect that the “surprises” indicated in the report would apply in most jurisdictions and so we need to continue to work hard to get the information about programs available to seniors to those who need the services.