The Importance of Health Care Services for the Elderly

Posted on Sep 25, 2012

Census data tell us that seniors comprise one of the fastest growing population groups in Canada.

In 1998, there were an estimated 3.7 million Canadians aged 65 and over, up 57% from 2.4 million in 1981. In marked contrast, the population in age ranges under age 65 grew by less than 20% in the same period. In 1998, seniors made up 12% of the total population, up from 10% in 1981 and 8% in 1971. The current figure is more than twice that of 1921, when only 5% of Canadians were aged 65 and over.

The senior population will grow even more rapidly during the next several decades, particularly when baby boomers begin turning sixty-five. Statistics Canada has projected that by 2016, 16% of all Canadians will be aged 65 and over, a population numbering almost 6 million. The senior population that has reached old age is also growing. About one in 10 Canadians was aged 85 and over in the mid 1990s compared with about one in 20 earlier in the 20th century.

The population of older people will grow partly because baby boomers are aging, but also because people are living longer. The remaining life expectancy of Canadian seniors has increased substantially over the course of the 20th century. Backbreaking work, infectious diseases and accidents which once carried people off at younger ages are no longer as prevalent as they once were, and modern medicine has enabled people to live many more years than their parents or grandparents. What is increasingly important, therefore, is the quality and security with which people can live out the remainder of their lives.

The Elderly and Health

The National Advisory Council on Aging described Canada’s health care system as institution-based, high-technology and cure-oriented. NACA pointed out that seniors’ health care needs, in contrast, are typically long-term and chronic. It proposed, therefore, that seniors require holistic care and multi-dimensional support, and that, as much as possible, care should be provided by community-based organizations in co-ordination with the institutional and informal sectors.Except for a small proportion of people, seniors, including the elderly, can live at home, but they must have reliable health and social support systems. Such systems are needed because over 80% of the population aged 65 and over living at home has been diagnosed as having a chronic health condition. Over 40% of people aged 65 and over living at home have arthritis and rheumatism. Over 30% have high blood pressure, 22% have food or other allergies, 17% have back problems, 16% have chronic heart problems, 15% have cataracts, and 10% have diabetes. Many also have a number of other health problems — chronic bronchitis or emphysema, asthma, urinary incontinence, sinusitis, ulcers, glaucoma, migraine headaches, Alzheimer’s, or the effects of a stroke. Many seniors experience chronic pain or discomfort.

The elderly and poverty

Most people pay their own way throughout their lives. However, when they become old, employment ceases, income falls, and many things are no longer affordable. Even seniors whose incomes are above poverty levels must watch their dollars carefully.

Among seniors, women are more than twice as likely as men to have low incomes. In 1997, 24% of all women aged 65 and over lived in poverty, compared with 12% of men aged 65 and over. Unattached seniors are far more likely to be poor than those who live in families. In 1997, 45% of all unattached individuals aged 65 and over were considered poor, compared with only 6% of seniors that lived with either their spouse or other immediate family members. Moreover, among seniors who live alone, women are considerably more likely than men to have low incomes. In 1997, almost half of these women (49%) had low incomes, compared with 33% of men.

The Elderly and Isolation

Seniors who live alone, without families or in isolation from their families, have the most difficult time coping with limited incomes, and are likely to experience extreme isolation. Moreover, the proportion of live-alone seniors is rising. In 1996, 29% of seniors lived by themselves, up from 27% in 1981 and 20% in 1971. By comparison, only 9% of people between the ages of 15 and 64 in 1996 lived alone.

Elderly women, especially those in older age ranges, are far less likely than elderly men to be living with family members. In 1996, only 40% of women aged 85 and over and 49% of those aged 75 to 84 lived with members of their family.

The percentage of senior women living with their spouse declines sharply with age.

The Growing Crisis in Elderly Care Costs

As the elderly population becomes a larger part of the Canadian population, the national costs of providing health care will increase dramatically. At the same time, the employed labour force base required to support this population will fall as a proportion of the national population. This base will not only have to support a growing elderly population, it will have to provide the tax revenue for schools, the construction of water and sewer systems, the maintenance of the national transportation system, and all other public functions. Clearly, costs will be cut wherever possible.

One area in which care for the elderly can be reduced is institutional care. Research based on British Columbia estimated that it cost an average of $5,413 annually to care for a patient at home, compared with $12,504 in an institution. The research demonstrates that these savings are realized even when extraordinary costs related to home care are factored in, such as more emergency-room and physician visits, higher prescription-drug use, homemaking services and adult daycare.

Read More