May 1, 2017
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Edition 14 Volume 5
In The News
2017 Elder Planning Issues Conference – Niagara Falls, ON. & Victoria, BC
Baby Boomers Push Retiree Growth Rate to Highest in 70 years
Census 2016 – Elderly Women Redefining What it Means to be Alone
The Upside to Growing Old
Is it Time for a Medication Review
Medicines for Dementia
Canada’s Seniors Live in Suburbs, and that is a Problem
Summer Skin Care Tips for Seniors
Tips, Snacks and Meal Preparation for Good Summer Nutrition
9th Edition EPC Materials
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CIEPS is Looking for Articles for the PULSE
Please Keep Your Contact Information Current
CIEPS Member Benefits
Alberta EPC Chapter Information
Vancouver EPC Chapter Information
Important Notice Regarding Your EPC Membership Dues
CE Requirements When Renewing Your EPC Designation
EPC Membership Renewal Reminder
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EPC Member Site
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2017 Elder Planning Issues Conferences (EPIC)
”Redefining Retirement and Relevance"
Providing more value for an Aging Consumer
If you haven’t registered for Niagara Falls conference please do so as soon as possible…limited seats available
Are you interested in finding out more about our aging society and the impact it will have on our futures? If so, this is the conference you will want to attend.
The locations are Niagara Falls, ON – June 4-6, 2017 and Victoria, BC –October 1-3, 2017
View all the information here - 2017 EPIC
View the Niagara Falls agenda and overviews here - 2017 Niagara Falls EPIC Agenda
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Baby boomers push retiree growth rate to highest in 70 years…from an article found on the Canadian Press website
The latest numbers from the 2016 census show waves of retiring baby boomers are now firmly crashing down on Canada’s demographic shores – an urgent challenge for policymakers, planners and politicians alike.
The figures indicate the number of Canadians who are 65 or older grew 20 per cent between 2011 and 2016, surpassing for the first time the number of children aged 14 and under.
It’s the largest increase for that age group in 70 years, and the highest increase in the proportion of seniors since Confederation.
Statistics Canada also found that 8,230 people had reached the age of 100 last year, making centenarians the fastest growing segment of the Canadian population at 41.3 per cent.
The agency says the aging of Canada’s population is only going to accelerate over the coming decades as more and more baby boomers march towards retirement.
The census also found that while Canada’s working-age population represents one of the largest proportions among G7 countries, there are two people about to retire from the workforce for every one poised to join it.
And in Atlantic Canada, nearly one in five people is over the age of 65, the highest proportion in the country, thanks to low fertility, low immigration and a persistent pattern of young people moving away.
More Coming…stay tuned.
Census 2016 – Elderly women redefining what it means to age alone…from an article by Global News
At age 80, Ada Garrison finds herself at a new beginning.
A host of new friends, activities and challenges abound since a health scare prompted her to move into a retirement home in downtown Toronto.
Six months ago she had been living alone in a two-bedroom apartment. Her 54-year-old daughter and grandson were in the unit below but she saw them rarely, as was the case with her two sons, one of whom lives in New York.
“I felt isolated,” Garrison admits of that time. “My kids were real busy and I could hear them; that was lovely, but the social time with them was skimpy.”
Meanwhile, her own circle of friends was dwindling.
“About half of them have died and that’s another reason that I felt blue. I was trying to make some younger friends, but people are swamped with work and there’s not a lot of leisure time.”
READ MORE: Census 2016:Baby boomers push retiree growth rate to highest in 70 years
The sociable grandmother moved to a retirement home where she now finds herself “cheek by jowl” with other seniors in an atmosphere she likens to living in a college dormitory. She takes classes and goes on group outings.
Her new daily imperative: make new friends and live life to the fullest.
Garrison is part of a growing group of single senior Canadian women who are redefining what it means to age alone. Their ranks are swelling, according to the latest tranche of data from the 2016 census, released Wednesday by Statistics Canada.
The number of elderly Canadians is soaring – a 19.4 per cent increase among those 85 and older between 2011 and 2016. Since people are living longer and women tend to outlive men, females have long had to cope with standing alone as they grew old.
Among Canadians aged 85 and older, there were nearly two women for every man in 2016, Statistics Canada found last year. For centenarians, whose ranks grew at a staggering rate of 41.3 per cent, the ratio was was five to one.
Some are widowed or divorced; others never married. Many have children, but they live far away amid housing and employment pressures. Some liken becoming a single senior to reinventing themselves entirely.
“There is a lot of reinvention because you’ve got another 30 to 35 years of life and why do what you’ve done before?” says 68-year-old Adina Lebo, who never married and lives alone in Toronto but finds support from a tight circle of female friends.
“Some of my friends started little businesses, like dog walking, or they took their mum’s cookie recipe and started making cookies and selling them at the local bakery and local fairs. Other people have gone into business with Airbnb and turned their home into a revenue-producing (business).”
Leslie Brodbeck, 71, says she found “a new confidence” after her husband died suddenly of brain cancer in 2008.
“I went to the bank, for instance … and negotiated a bridge loan all by myself. I had never done anything like that in my life,” says Brodbeck, who lives in London, Ont. “I want to be a person that’s vibrant and involved, not someone who sits at home and knits.”
And while it’s long been true that the people who approach 100 are mostly women, men are starting to close the gender gap, says Nora Spinks, chief executive officer of The Vanier Institute of the Family.
In 2001, there were 2.3 men for every woman in the 85-and-over group, Statistics Canada said Wednesday. In 2016, that ratio was down to 1.87.
Spinks credits better illness detection, medical treatment and preventative care with pushing male life expectancy to increase at a slightly higher rate than that of women.
But older women still live longer, and many are alone.
Spinks says it’s not surprising many seniors describe feeling a newfound freedom, since it often follows a lifetime of sequential caregiving.
“First you look after your kids, then you look after your parents, then you look after your spouse, then you look after your friends,” she says.
“You’re taking care of others from the time you’re in your 20s – maybe late 20s, early 30s – right through to your 60s, and then all of a sudden, you get to focus on you. And for a lot of women that’s very liberating.”
It’s something Bev Farrell sees everyday in her work at Third Age Outreach, a geriatric service out of St. Joseph’s Health Care in London, Ont.
As a “therapeutic recreation specialist,” she helps older adults find meaningful activities such as exercise, crafts or card games.
She recalls helping a widow who was foundering after a decade spent caring for her ailing husband.
“She had to give herself permission to have fun, because she felt a little guilty at first.”
Lebo, chair of the Toronto chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, says one of the biggest concerns of members is the fear they will outlive their savings.
Health care, housing, transit and social supports are all big concerns, but she has struggled to find steady employment since being losing her job five years ago. She finds support from older single women who share her struggles and can offer a helping hand when needed.
“We’re basically looking after ourselves and helping each other,” says Lebo, who also looks after her 96-year-old mother.
“I have friends who’ve said, ‘Adina, we’ll be calling you to assist us on medical things that require a second person and please call us,’ so that’s an unwritten bond.”
Meanwhile, older seniors like her mother are at greater risk of spending more time alone, says Lebo, especially when illness is involved and it becomes impossible to leave the house or entertain visitors.
Brodbeck’s advice, meanwhile, is the same as that she gives her children: plan ahead while you can and celebrate every stage of life.
“Look to the future, don’t dwell on the past, but live every day. Because you never know what’s around the corner and that’s what my husband’s death taught me.”
The upsides to growing old…from an article written by TimiGustafsonm RD and Health Counselor
Old age is no laughing matter. Inevitably, it comes with decline and decay, perhaps disability and loss. On the other hand, there are also opportunities to enjoy one's later years when they are no longer occupied with goals and ambitions, tasks and duties, and the good opinion of others.
When asked about their greatest fears in connection with aging, most people will say losing their independence, becoming incapacitated, finding themselves socially isolated and feeling lonely, seeing their physical attractiveness and vitality diminish, facing financial difficulties, among others.
However, when quizzed about their remaining hopes and aspirations, the answers are oftentimes not as readily forthcoming. But the fact is that there are many possibilities still presenting themselves if we are open to them.
Some say that however well or poorly someone ages, the alternative would always be worse. This, of course, depends on how much you value longevity. As for me, quality of life has priority over everything else, although that can come in many ways or forms.
As the proverbial "senior moments" occur with greater frequency, and other limitations, both mental and physical, become more prevalent, there can be many creative ways to cope with those challenges. Ultimately, life should remain enriching and pleasurable as much and for as long as possible.
There is no shortage of jokes about old age and what old people can get away with, like, you can eat dinner whenever you want or make remarks younger folks would get arrested for. But seriously, there are aspects of aging that really can make a difference in how we relate to what is still in store for us.
For instance, the fact that most of life has already taken place and less is yet to come does not have to be a depressing notion. One's experiences in the past can serve as invaluable guidelines and continue to be relevant. Priorities and values can become clearer. Less time and energy might be wasted on matters of minor significance. The growing awareness that time itself is limited and will run out in short order can lead to its better use.
"Certainly there are some downsides to aging, but I argue that there are considerably more upsides," says Bart Astor, author of numerous self-help books, including the "AARP Roadmap for the Rest of Your Life: Smart Choices About Money, Health, Work, Lifestyle, and Pursuing Your Dreams."
"Study after study," he says, "has shown that older folks -- those of us in our 60s and 70s -- report higher self-esteem, greater emotional stability, and a more positive outlook on life than those who are younger."
A reason for this may be that from a certain age on a greater sense of self and one's place in the world comes into fuller view. As there is less uncertainty and less unfinished business to deal with, a form of acceptance can emerge that can be very comforting.
A positive outlook in particular may not only influence how well someone ages but even affect life expectancy itself. People who feel that there is still much to live for, to be explored and to be enjoyed can perceive this time as a great chance to pursue and fulfill long-held dreams and desires, and also make peace with shortcomings and disappointments.
As studies have shown, age can bring forth its own kind of happiness, a unique state of mind not easily achievable earlier on because it requires a high degree of wisdom and serenity that is hard earned but also well deserved.
Is it time for a medication review? Many people taking unnecessary meds…from an article found on the McMaster University portal
How many pills are you taking? Older adults are particularly vulnerable to problems associated with polypharmacy (taking more than one medication at the same time). Perhaps it's time for a medication review with your doctor or pharmacist? By assessing the benefits and risks of each of your meds, it may be appropriate to reduce doses or stop those that are no longer needed.
The Bottom Line
- Older adults are particularly vulnerable to problems associated with polypharmacy (taking more than one medication at the same time).
- Medication review by a doctor or pharmacist helps to assess the benefits and risks of prescribed drugs and reduce unnecessary medications.
- Research shows that stopping unnecessary, inappropriate or potentially harmful drugs is a promising way to reduce risk of falls and prolong life, without significant risk of withdrawal.
If you’re over the age of 65, chances are you’re regularly taking at least five and possibly upwards of 10 different prescription drugs. As people get older and suffer more age-related health problems, they’re likely to continue adding to that collection of pill bottles on their night stand or pill shelf.
Those medications were likely prescribed for good reason, but over time some drugs may no longer be helpful, and in fact can even cause harm. For example, some medications can trigger bad reactions when combined with others or may cause side effects such as fuzzy thinking, weakness, falls, disability and even death. That’s why “polypharmacy,” the use of multiple drugs at the same time, is recognized as a serious threat to quality of life and healthy aging.
What can we do about it?
A promising strategy is a multi-step process that begins with a review of your medications. A doctor or pharmacist can help assess the benefits and risks of each one and “deprescribe” any that are no longer appropriate. Deprescribing means backing off when doses are too high, or stopping medications that are no longer needed.
Considerable research has been conducted to find out if deprescribing is a safe approach and whether it helps to improve health and longevity. In a recent systematic reviewincluding more than 34,000 older adults, researchers measured the benefits and risks of deprescribing. All study participants had a medication review and at least one of their prescribed medications withdrawn. Researchers measured impacts on mortality (risk of death) and whether deprescribing had other impacts such as drug withdrawal or risk of falls.
What the research tells us
Medication review and deprescribing appear to be reasonable and safe ways to address polypharmacy in seniors. Review results suggest stopping one or more unnecessary medications can lead to health benefits such as fewer falls and may even increase your chance of living a longer life.
Encouragingly, stopping unnecessary medications did not increase risk of drug withdrawal or affect quality of life.
Reviewing medications – and deprescribing when warranted – has strong and growing support among doctors, geriatricians, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals concerned with the over prescribing and overuse of drugs. In Canada, the goals of the Canadian Deprescribing Network are to reduce prescriptions of inappropriate medications by 50%by 2020 and to promote safer drug and non-drug therapies.