SCOPE - Fall 2002

*SCOPE Fall 2002* Vol. 9, No. 3	*Grey Power!*
Inside SCOPE STRAIGHT TALK ACCREDITATION VISIT 2002 NEWS AND VIEWS FOUNDATION NEWS, ANNUAL REPORT, AND CAMPAIGN UPDATE Also: THOSE WERE THE GOOD OL' DAYS TOP	by Michel Bilodeau, President/CEO Although considerable interest was generated in July when the results of the last census confirmed that the Canadian population is aging, the media, governments, and the general public remain largely unconcerned about this phenomenon. This is illustrated by the lack of attention paid to reductions in services to seniors, the chronic underfunding of long-term care facilities, and the fact that it is more difficult to raise funds for these facilities than for acute care or children’s hospitals. Over the past year, for example, the SCO Health Service and the Community Care Access Centre were forced to cut services, thereby affecting thousands of seniors. Of course, a few newspaper articles and television reports appeared on this topic but after a few days, everything was forgotten. Compare this to the reaction resulting from the intended transfer of children’s cardiac surgery to Toronto, which affects about 100 children! The same applies to foundations. We know that the Heart Institute, CHEO, and The Ottawa Hospital are very appealing to donors, but the same cannot be said of facilities that care for seniors, the dying, the chronically ill, or persons with disabilities or psychiatric illnesses. Several reasons may explain this lack of interest: Short-stay hospitals save lives; Their client base is much larger. With 800 beds, the SCO Heath Service admits approximately 1,400 patients each year. With the same number of beds, an acute care hospital admits nearly 40,000. We receive 65,000 outpatient visits a year while The Ottawa Hospital receives 500,000; The use of technology (e.g. MRI machines) fascinates people and may encourage large companies to make major donations to these institutions; Few people enjoy aging, in fact most prefer not to think about it. Children—who represent the future—always attract more sympathy. However, by 2020, people over 60 years of age will be in the majority worldwide. For sociologist Jean Carette, the aging of the population is good news for everyone. “Children are expensive, socially speaking,” he says. “We have to invest in them for over 20 years, whereas seniors have already paid and, for the most part, they hold the capital. Aging is a tremendous asset to society.” He also believes that governments are doing their best to ignore the emerging force that seniors represent. “One out of every two voters is over 50 but politicians are still saying very little about aging-related issues.” *We see “grey power” start to emerge . . . more and more attention will be given to the* *services they are offered, their consumption patterns, and research on aging. Governments will then be unable to ignore this emerging force.* It will be several years before attitudes change in this area. Of course, baby boomers are aging, but the oldest among them are only 55. On average, they still have 20 years of good health and 30 years before institutionalization. However, their parents are quickly reaching the point at which their deteriorating health will lead them to seek home care or nursing homes. And their baby-boomer children, who are used to getting what they want, will make sure that their parents receive easy access to quality care. They will also want to be reassured that the system is available for them when the day inevitably comes when they need it. Only then will we see “grey power” start to emerge, highlighted by a marked increase in the political and economic influence of seniors. More and more attention will be given to the services they are offered, their consumption patterns, and research on aging. Governments will then be unable to ignore this emerging force. As David Foot wrote: “Baby boomers have a tendency to assume that whatever phase they are going through must be of universal interest. Nothing can cure them of this and, given their dominant position in the mass media, there isn’t much the rest of society can do about it. So get ready to be inundated by a flood of articles about health issues related to aging.” \| Next \| *SCO*PE Home \| Previous \| Top \|
*SCOPE Fall 2002* Vol. 9, No. 3

SCOPE
Fall 2002
Vol. 9, No. 3

Grey Power!

Inside SCOPE

STRAIGHT TALK

ACCREDITATION
VISIT 2002

NEWS AND VIEWS

FOUNDATION NEWS,
ANNUAL REPORT, AND CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Also:

THOSE WERE
THE GOOD OL' DAYS

TOP

by Michel Bilodeau, President/CEO

Although considerable interest was generated in July when the results of the last census confirmed that the Canadian population is aging, the media, governments, and the general public remain largely unconcerned about this phenomenon. This is illustrated by the lack of attention paid to reductions in services to seniors, the chronic underfunding of long-term care facilities, and the fact that it is more difficult to raise funds for these facilities than for acute care or children’s hospitals.

Over the past year, for example, the SCO Health Service and the Community Care Access Centre were forced to cut services, thereby affecting thousands of seniors. Of course, a few newspaper articles and television reports appeared on this topic but after a few days, everything was forgotten. Compare this to the reaction resulting from the intended transfer of children’s cardiac surgery to Toronto, which affects about 100 children!

The same applies to foundations. We know that the Heart Institute, CHEO, and The Ottawa Hospital are very appealing to donors, but the same cannot be said of facilities that care for seniors, the dying, the chronically ill, or persons with disabilities or psychiatric illnesses.

Several reasons may explain this lack of interest:

Short-stay hospitals save lives;
Their client base is much larger. With 800 beds, the SCO Heath Service admits approximately 1,400 patients each year. With the same number of beds, an acute care hospital admits nearly 40,000. We receive 65,000 outpatient visits a year while The Ottawa Hospital receives 500,000;
The use of technology (e.g. MRI machines) fascinates people and may encourage large companies to make major donations to these institutions;
Few people enjoy aging, in fact most prefer not to think about it. Children—who represent the future—always attract more sympathy.

However, by 2020, people over 60 years of age will be in the majority worldwide. For sociologist Jean Carette, the aging of the population is good news for everyone. “Children are expensive, socially speaking,” he says. “We have to invest in them for over 20 years, whereas seniors have already paid and, for the most part, they hold the capital. Aging is a tremendous asset to society.” He also believes that governments are doing their best to ignore the emerging force that seniors represent. “One out of every two voters is over 50 but politicians are still saying very little about aging-related issues.”

We see “grey power” start to emerge . . . more and more attention will be given to the services they are offered, their consumption patterns, and research on aging. Governments will then be unable to ignore this emerging force.

It will be several years before attitudes change in this area. Of course, baby boomers are aging, but the oldest among them are only 55. On average, they still have 20 years of good health and 30 years before institutionalization. However, their parents are quickly reaching the point at which their deteriorating health will lead them to seek home care or nursing homes. And their baby-boomer children, who are used to getting what they want, will make sure that their parents receive easy access to quality care. They will also want to be reassured that the system is available for them when the day inevitably comes when they need it. Only then will we see “grey power” start to emerge, highlighted by a marked increase in the political and economic influence of seniors. More and more attention will be given to the services they are offered, their consumption patterns, and research on aging. Governments will then be unable to ignore this emerging force.

As David Foot wrote: “Baby boomers have a tendency to assume that whatever phase they are going through must be of universal interest. Nothing can cure them of this and, given their dominant position in the mass media, there isn’t much the rest of society can do about it. So get ready to be inundated by a flood of articles about health issues related to aging.”

SCOPE
Fall 2002
Vol. 9, No. 3