June 16, 2023

June is moving along. We’re part way through Seniors Month, and our provincial government tells us there’s lots to do. We can use Twitter and Facebook to thank older adults “for all their hard work and show them just how much they are appreciated”; join a Seniors Month conversation; recognize older adults’ contributions to their neighbourhoods; publicize events and topics of interest; post photos of celebrations; and share health and fitness tips.

It’s enough to keep someone of any age busy. It’s also very thinly disguised ageism – choosing one month to “recognize” people and praise them simply because of their age. Patting older adults on the head and talking down to them is not what they want.

“I don’t care about the candles on my birthday cake. I don’t want awards and I don’t want to see myself on Facebook just because of how many birthdays I’ve had. I can’t stand the way people talk to someone my age. I wouldn’t talk to a child or an animal that way.”

Let’s look at what older adults do want. The federal Liberal party’s recent policy resolution, which  reflects worldwide research, states that: 1) ageing is not a disease; 2) the growing proportion of older Canadians puts pressure on health care, but institutionalization isn’t the answer; 3) older adults don’t want to live in long-term care homes, but many are forced to because they can’t get support in their own homes; 4) keeping them well enough to remain at home will lengthen lives, improve wellness, and lower health care costs; and 5) ageing Canadians should have equal access to the supports they need for ageing in place wherever they live.

The resolution points out that Canada has one of the lowest levels of home care spending in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It goes on to urge Canada’s government to introduce new federal legislation that:

• Provides enough funding within the federal health transfer to meet the average ratio of home care to GDP of the top five Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries
• Sets conditions for home care funding – transparency, adherence to national standards, and  public accountability
• Engages provinces, territories, and stakeholders to shift from institutional care to home care with community supports
• Addresses improvements for personal care workers
• Gives older Canadians equal access to home support, whoever they are and wherever they live

We don’t know what the legislation will look like, but this resolution is an important step. Respect for older adults isn’t a partisan concern. We call on all parties – federal and provincial – as well as municipal governments to adopt the same principles and act on them.

What can you do?

Ask your local officials or candidates what they will do to adopt legislation that gives older adults the programming they actually want.

Support officials and candidates who listen to older adults in a non-ageist way.

Speak up. Contact your local officials. If you can’t participate in an event, sign an online petition.