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British Columbia’s population is becoming significantly
older, and the demographic and social changes that are beginning
to affect our province will forever alter how our communities
look and function. There are many more older people, we are
living longer and we are more active and healthier than ever
before.
It is time for a new view of aging and of the role of older
people in our province. The fact that older adults are a
valuable and contributing part of our society hasn’t been fully
recognized. We must increase opportunities for older people to
remain engaged with others in their communities, and continue to
share their knowledge, experience and skills.
Most older British Columbians do not need or want a large
number of services or supports from society, while a smaller
number do need society’s support. We must recognize and respond
to these varying needs.
The Premier’s Council on Aging and Seniors’ Issues envisions
a society where everyone benefits from the wealth of talent and
experience of older adults, where older people are actively
involved, integrated rather than isolated, supported in our
desire to remain engaged with our communities, and assisted when
poor health, lack of income or other barriers stand in the way
of a good quality of life.
This vision is reflected in our 16 recommendations for
change in our communities and in our province. We have
highlighted in bold type five recommendations we judge to be
key.
Participating in society
We want a province where older people can remain involved and
interacting with others in their communities, filling roles that
are respected and valued.
British Columbia’s Human Rights Code does not protect people
65 and older from discrimination on the basis of age. This is
fundamentally unfair and must change immediately. The current
lack of protection for older people allows mandatory retirement
to be practiced in many workplaces, and when people do work
after 65, they cannot count on receiving the same wages,
benefits and working conditions as others doing the same work.
The vast majority of older people are not finished being
productive at 65, and it is inappropriate to have laws
suggesting otherwise.
- KEY: We recommend that the B.C.
government immediately change the Human Rights Code to extend human
rights protections to those over the
age of 65, thereby eliminating mandatory
retirement in B.C.
Full participation of older people also depends on taking
into account the particular circumstances of those in Aboriginal
and ethnocultural communities to ensure that the differing needs
of people in these communities are met. We must also encourage
volunteerism and the non-profit sector because of the important
services this sector provides and the valuable opportunities for
older people to contribute through volunteerism. And we must
improve the availability of information on opportunities and
services for older people, because these opportunities are only
useful if people know about them
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We recommend that the B.C.
government work with Aboriginal
and ethnocultural organizations
to ensure cultural appropriateness
of services for older adults.
-
We recommend that the B.C.
government proactively support
and promote volunteerism.
-
We recommend that the B.C.
government make accessible
information services and outreach
for older adults a priority.
Transforming work
We must change workplaces to make it easier for older people
to continue to work if they want. Our vision is of a province
that welcomes older workers, benefiting from their skills,
experience and dependability and enabling those who wish to work
to do so.
More and more people are choosing to remain in the labour
market after turning 65. Increased workplace flexibility would
make it easier for people to make this choice, and would have
the added benefit of helping address our province’s growing
labour shortage.
Increased workplace flexibility must go hand in hand with
modernized rules for retirement savings. Opportunities for
people to save for their retirement should be improved and
promoted.
- We recommend that the B.C.
government take a leadership role
in supporting and promoting
increased workplace flexibility.
- We recommend that the B.C.
government promote greater
individual retirement savings.
Reshaping our neighbourhoods
We must reshape our neighbourhoods to make it easier for
older people to thrive and remain in their homes as they age.
Our vision is of neighbourhoods designed to accommodate
people of all ages and abilities, easy to walk, with highly
accessible shops and services, recreational and cultural
opportunities. We believe the B.C. government should work with
local governments to encourage these sorts of developments. We
also want a central role for a new type of enhanced community
centre, which could play an important part in bringing people of
all ages and cultural backgrounds together, providing a focus
for interaction and community service delivery.
- We recommend that the B.C.
government engage key partners
and lead a provincial initiative to
reshape neighbourhoods.
Our vision also includes a range of housing options
supporting continued independence and quality of life, and a
strong emphasis on accessible transportation, which is vital in
linking older people to services, their friends and their
communities.
- We recommend that the B.C.
government take a strong leadership
role in the area of housing for older
people.
- We recommend that the B.C.
government proactively address the
transportation needs of older people.
Staying healthy
It’s urgent that British Columbians live healthier, so that
we age better. Tomorrow’s older adults have the potential to
live even longer and healthier than the current generation, but
how we live now affects how healthy we will be in the future.
Older people are more likely to have chronic health problems
such as heart disease, diabetes, dementia, or arthritis if they
have been physically inactive and eaten a diet high in salt,
fat, and sugar. We are concerned by recent data showing that
most British Columbians are not sufficiently active and are
eating unhealthy diets.
We need to structure our communities so they support healthy
choices, with healthy living on municipal and local community
agendas to reach people where they live, on an everyday basis.
- KEY: We recommend that the B.C.
government significantly enhance
healthy living initiatives focused
on older adults, customized for British
Columbia’s diverse population.
Ensuring sufficient incomes
All older British Columbians must have sufficient incomes to
live decently.
Viewed as a total population, older people in B.C. are better
off financially than ever before, and many who will be retiring
in coming years are even wealthier. However, some older people
still live with very low incomes.
This can contribute to social isolation and
non-participation, significantly affecting quality of life and
resulting higher costs to society due to increased use of
residential care and the health system. Action to remedy the
situation of those older people who are living below the poverty
line is essential.
- We recommend that the B.C. government take steps to
ensure adequate incomes for all older people.
Supporting independence
We must bring vital services, such as a broader range of home
support, to older people’s homes and neighbourhoods to enable
continued independence and a good quality of life.
The support services currently available to older British
Columbians in their communities fall well short of meeting the
needs of some older people. We need a new vision for home
support – one focused on prevention, maintaining quality of
life, and avoiding the high cost – financial and human – of
institutional care.
- KEY: We recommend that the B.C.
government introduce a new, broader
and more widely available home
support system.
We also endorse the expansion of assisted living across the
province, and increased support for informal caregivers.
- We recommend that the B.C.
government recognize the contribution
of informal caregivers.
Providing medical services
Our health system must focus on quality so that sustainable
and accessible health services will be available when older
British Columbians need them. Misuse, overuse and under-use of
health services raise concerns over quality, so a strong focus
on quality improvement is essential.
By improving quality, not only will we provide better health
outcomes, but we will also help control costs. Quality
improvements should include increased attention to the reform of
primary health care, the provision of sufficient residential
care beds, and improved prescription drug evaluation,
acquisition, regulation and information. We also support
assistance for low-income older people with the cost of certain
aids and treatments (such as hearing and vision aids).
- KEY: We recommend that the B.C.
government implement aggressive
quality improvement initiatives
across our health system, in a
culturally appropriate way.
- We recommend that the B.C. government move to more
objective, transparent, evidence-based decision-making
regarding what health care treatments, services and devices
– mainstream and alternative care – should be funded
by our publicly-supported health system.
Making it happen
The B.C. government must show leadership and be a catalyst
for change, building partnerships with organizations and
communities across the province. We need a new approach to adapt
successfully to the changing age composition of our population.
A champion for change is needed both within government and
for the government’s outreach efforts. A Minister of State
Responsible for Aging should act as this champion, supported by
a secretariat with broad responsibility for programs, services
and issues affecting older British Columbians. The secretariat
should be attached to a ministry other than the Ministry of
Health.
- KEY: We recommend that the B.C.
government appoint a Minister of
State and secretariat to lead the
changes needed to adapt to an
older population, and to monitor
and report on progress.
The Council urges government and all British Columbians to
seize the opportunity to make the changes necessary to adapt
successfully to an older population.
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