To my Extended Family in Australia

MERRY XMAS!

A timely idea for a super gift for the senior in our life

As a special gift for a friend who may be a senior, think about a new smart phone? Some people don’t think about giving a phone to a senior because some seniors live without their phone, while others struggle to remember where it is… or how to turn it on! Regardless of their level of dependency, mobile phones can provide easy access to your personal contacts, directions, even entertainment. And – importantly – they can also help improve and maintain health while supporting your goals of aging optimally.

A smart phone can help a senior manage their medications

We’re all human, which means we can make mistakes or forget to do things. But some slip-ups have serious consequences, such as forgetting to take medications properly (or at all), a common problem for many people. Text message reminders delivered via mobile phone can help ensure medications are taken as directed.

The reality is that up to 50% of adults with serious chronic health conditions don’t take their medications as prescribed. Consequences can be severe and even fatal.

People of all ages have embraced text messaging as an easy, efficient way to communicate. Even many adults who originally thought they’d never get the hang of thumbing messages on tiny little keyboards, are now effortlessly texting as part of their daily routine. This comfort with cell phones and technology can also come in handy when it comes to managing medications.

Many of us have trouble keeping track of our meds, sometimes forgetting to take them regularly or as prescribed. Research shows that as many as half of people with serious chronic conditions begin skipping doses – or stop taking the pills altogether – within a year of starting them That’s worrisome: it can result in complications, hospitalization, even more debilitating illness and premature death. It’s also expensive: “medication non-adherence” in North America is estimated to cost billions of dollars each year for additional doctor visits and treatments.

A possible solution may be to try cell phone text messages as a way to remind and encourage people to take their medication. Reminders delivered through text messages can help adults adhere to doctors’ orders when it comes to taking the correct drug doses at the right times.

According to the review studies, done by McMaster University and published on their Ageing portal, 10 of which were of high quality, people were significantly more likely to take their medications as directed when prompted via their cell phones.

There are several advantages to using cell phones to promote better health: messages are received instantly; it’s a well-used and trusted technology; it’s a relatively low cost and low maintenance approach; and cell phones (they don’t need to be “smart” phones) have become much more affordable for many people.

A smartphone for Christmas is a great idea as it may help a senior keep track of their medications and stay healthy. If they have a smart phone, then find an app (here is a link to the top 5 medication reminder) that will help them remember to take their medication and give them that app.

  

Text message reminders may not be the perfect solution to what is a major health concern, and their use may not be appropriate for everyone. But if this approach can benefit a majority of chronic disease sufferers and help ease pressure on healthcare systems, it’s an option worth pursuing.

Helping seniors remain active, our Doctors are helping

The Canadian Medical Association presented the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities 15 comprehensive recommendations that would help our seniors remain active, contributing citizens of their communities while improving the quality of their lives. These range from increasing capital investment in residential care

Canadians are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. The number of seniors expected to need help or care in the next 30 years will double, placing an unprecedented challenge on Canada’s health care system. That we face this challenge speaks to the immense success story that is modern medicine, but it doesn’t in any way minimize the task ahead.

Publicly funded health care was created about 50 years ago when Canada’s population was just over 20 million and the average life expectancy was 71. Today, our population is over 36 million and the average life expectancy is 10 years longer. People 85 and older make up the fastest growing age group in our country, and the growth in the number of centenarians is also expected to continue.

  

I have highlighted a number of the recommendations below, for the full pdf report go here

The CMA recommends that the federal government include capital investment in residential care infrastructure, including retrofit and renovation, as part of its commitment to invest in social infrastructure.

Residential care bed forecast tied to population growth of age cohorts. It is estimated that Canada will require an average of 10,500 new beds per year over the next 19 years, for a total of 199,000 new beds by 2035. This forecast does not include the investments needed to renovate and retrofit existing long-term care homes.

A recent report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information indicated that residential care capacity must double over the next 20 years (assuming no change in how care is currently provided), necessitating a transformation in how seniors care is provided across the continuum of care.4 These findings provide a sense of the immense challenges Canada faces in addressing the residential care needs of older seniors.

Investments in residential care infrastructure and continuing care will improve care for seniors while significantly reducing wait times in hospitals and across the system, benefiting all patients. Efforts to de-hospitalize the system and address the housing and residential care options for Canada’s aging population are key.

The CMA recommends that the federal government take steps to provide adequate income support for older Canadians, as well as education and protection from financial abuse.

Adequate Income: Poverty among seniors in Canada dropped sharply in the 1970s and 1980s but it has been rising in recent years. In 2012, the incidence of low income among people aged 65 years and over was 12.1%. This rate was considerably higher for single seniors at 28.5%.6 Incidence of low income (2012)

Most older Canadians rely on Old Age Security (OAS), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), and their personal pensions or investments to maintain their basic standard of living in retirement. Some seniors are also eligible for a Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) to improve their financial security.

The CMA recognizes the federal government’s actions to strengthen these programs and initiatives to ensure their viability and to provide sustainable tax relief. These measures must continue and evolve to support aging Canadians so they can afford to live at home or in age-friendly communities as they get older. The government’s actions to ensure adequate income support will also assist aging Canadians to take care of their health, maintain independence, and continue living safely without the need for institutional care.

The CMA recommends that the federal government improve awareness of the new Canada Caregiver Credit and amend it to make it a refundable tax credit for caregivers.

The federal government’s recent commitment to provide $6 billion over 10 years to the provinces and territories for home care, including support for caregivers, is a welcome step toward improving opportunities for seniors to remain in their homes. As with previous bilateral funding agreements, it is important to establish clear operating principles between the parties to oversee the funding implementation and for the development

2800 wow

Two days ago I posted blog number 2800, according to the stats I see on Blogger. I started writing this blog on October 6, 2010, in response to the news that I was going to be a grandfather. 

I am a bit of a workaholic and so I made a commitment to write one post a day just for fun not realizing I would be still doing this after seven years. Over the years I have looked at a wide range of topics that I found interesting and I think the readers do as well. I have been approached by people who have asked me to write stories that would be of interest to their demographic, and they would pay me for the work I did. I always decline those offers, because I don't what I will write until I sit down and compose. 

I have, as a result of some reading my blog, asked to comment on issues for seniors and I have always accepted that challenge. When I was at University, I was a student reporter, and I still remember how hard it was to get people willing to talk to you and to be quoted. So I am always open to enquiring minds who want to listen.

I have over the last seven years been faced with some challenges and many joys. Life is good and it continues to be at this stage. I am looking forward to another few years of writing, as it keeps my mind active. Thank you to all of those who have, by reading and making comments, kept my spirits up and my energy and enthusiasm for writing going.