Healthy aging – not a dream

While Canadians struggle to go green, one thing’s certain: as a society we’re going grey. In fact, we’re on the cusp of a historical first in Canada – in two decades almost a quarter of us will be “old”.

The arrival of this great aging wave is already clear to anyone watching TV commercials. Marketers get it, and now the health care and other systems are trying to catch up.

Today we have a unique window of opportunity to prepare for this substantially more mature Canadian population. And just as with RRSPs, it’s only with long-term planning that we’re going to create a comfortable, healthy future for both those who are rapidly approaching their senior years.

As part of this planning process, we need to generate and promote new knowledge about healthy aging.  We need to look at the health, lifestyle, social, environmental and genetic factors that help people to stay healthy and active well into later life.

Canada’s health research community is at work on the task – researchers have already produced new discoveries and innovations that are beginning to create the opportunity for healthy, active old age instead of creaky, frail old age.  

For example, research supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has resulted in new memory training that help older brains learn –and remember-new tricks.  CIHR support also led to the creation of an inexpensive shoe insole that helps seniors keep their balance, preventing debilitating falls.

And, in experiments with mice, CIHR-supported researchers discovered a sugar-like substance that stops the build-up of toxic plaque associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Each of these innovations provides strong evidence that the promise of healthy aging is not just a dream. Seniors face many simultaneous health challenges, such as diabetes, osteoporosis and cardiac problems, and this combination requires a geriatrics specialist’s hand to navigate. Unfortunately, Canada faces a severe lack of geriatric health-care specialists.

We need to place greater emphasis on geriatrics training at medical schools.  We also need to look at adjusting provincial fee schedules to accommodate the longer time often required when seniors visit their doctor.

To keep seniors mobile, we must consider changes to the Canadian Building Code – these could be as, or more important, to seniors’ lifestyles and well-being than any medicine. Many of us know an active older person whose mental and physical health plummeted when they broke a hip, or could no longer drive their car, losing their ability to get around.

Finally, we need to think about how we help seniors remain active and independent.  Simple yet vital actions such as providing help with cooking, getting ready for bed, or taking medication are services that prevent injuries, or the isolation, depression and malnutrition that lead to institutionalization. Canadian researchers are collecting detailed information about how best to assess these different types of needs and are working with policymakers to make accurate projections about the type and extent of caregiving resources needed. 

We’re at a tipping point in terms of ensuring that aging Canadians face a healthy future. Research and the application of new knowledge can provide a tremendous opportunity to enhance the well-being and quality of life of millions of aging and elderly Canadians.  If we grasp this opportunity, we’ll make aging a healthy and happier experience for many.

By Dr. Anne Martin-Matthews, Scientific Director, CIHR Institute of Aging