Baycrest touted as leader in seniors care.
Seniors Reuben Cipin, left, and Monty Mazin meet with federal minister of state for seniors Diane Ablonczy during her tour of Baycrest's hospital and brain research centre on Wednesday. (July 28, 2010)
Photo/KELLY CONNELLY
With Canada facing a rapidly greying population, the federal minister responsible for seniors visited North York's Baycrest Health Care System to see for herself how Canada's premiere geriatric facility is leading research into issues related to aging.
"I came here because as seniors minister, it is really helpful to see the leading edge of innovation and studies for care for older Canadians. Political ministers need to know what is available, what is coming, from the smartest people in the room," Diane Ablonczy, minister of state for seniors, told The Mirror during her tour of Baycrest Wednesday, July 28.
"Baycrest is unique. There is no other facility like it in North America, as I understand it. They are really doing a wide range of studies and innovative projects that are not being duplicated in North America."
Ablonczy said she was particularly interested in learning how Baycrest delivers health care and about its electronic health record system. Baycrest was Canada's first long-term care facility to adopt a computerized pharmaceutical order system to eliminate drug mishaps.
Ablonczy's tour began with a round-table discussion about aging issues with Baycrest president Dr. Bill Reichman, chief of staff Dr. Paul Katz and Dr. Jane Barratt, a member of Baycrest's board of directors and secretary general of the International Federation on Ageing.
They all agreed Canada will have to start better addressing challenges facing its growing population of seniors.
According to a report called Canada's Aging Population by Health Canada and an interdepartmental committee on aging and seniors issues, the country is quickly maturing.
"At the start of this new century, Canada faces significant aging of its population as the proportion of seniors increases more rapidly than all other age groups," the report said.
"In 2001, one Canadian in eight was aged 65 years or over. By 2026, one Canadian in five will have reached age 65."
That will affect all levels of society from the delivery of health care to the composition of the labour market, the round-table group agreed.
"We all know the population is aging. It is going to impact every aspect of what the government does," Ablonczy said.
Reichman said governments and society as a whole must start looking deeper into non-institutionalized care of seniors.
"The existing approach to how we are meeting the needs of people as they age is unsustainable," he said.
Ablonczy cautioned that while society's approach to seniors must change, that new outlook must also be tempered by demographics.
It will be difficult for a relatively small number of younger taxpayers to meet the needs of a large aging population, although she pointed out more older Canadians are remaining in the labour market.
She said she is excited to see the innovations Baycrest is developing in the area of brain health, including a study now underway showing the personal and societal benefits of seniors volunteering.
Reichman also outlined how Baycrest is using technology to keep its residents connected with their families miles away and to the broader community.
There is no point in focusing on medical breakthroughs without improving quality of life for the elderly, he said.
"(A senior would think) 'If I can't function as grandma any more, what is my point in living? I don't care if you can control my blood pressure,'" he said.
"In too many people, we see retirement as a downward spiral to death. It is not another opportunity to grow."
In addition to research into ways to improve seniors' physical and cognitive health, Reichman said baby boomers will redefine what it means to be elderly.
"Boomers now are very interested in staying in the game" into their 70s and 80s, he said.
Following the round-table discussion, Ablonczy visited several projects at Baycrest including a virtual brain demonstration and the Memory Link program.