Paper Sample on Seniors in Canada: Healthier and Longer Lives Thanks to Gov't Care

Introduction

Across the available developed nations, Canada’s major population comprises of the senior citizens. These citizens are diverse based on the respective attributes that define or categorize them with their other counterparts. Currently, seniors in Canada are more likely to live healthier and longer lives than the previous generations due to the government's effective measures to provide care. On this note, the government has invested its efforts in developing policies, initiatives, and programs geared towards providing a quality life for seniors. Such measures also include the people supporting these seniors, including caregivers, families, and communities. The aging population in Canada is expected to continue rising as life expectancy is projected to increase for both men and women.

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The aging Canadian population is associated with a variety of opportunities as well as challenges on the society as a whole. One of the challenges is the retarded growth in real estate development, considering that most senior citizens would not agree to sell or relocating to allow growth. However, they provide a substantial platform for the younger population-based on increased nursing and caregiving opportunities. While working with such a diverse senior population, there is a vast array of considerations that have to be made. These considerations aim to promote inclusivity and create a platform that allows the senior citizens to live a quality life (Seniors Advisory Consortium of Ontario, 2011). They include; attitudes towards aging, death, and religion, diverse dialects, family roles, housing, dietary restrictions, external environments, as well as educational levels. While considering the aging population, it is inevitable to focus on their daily activities, quality of life, and leisure time. This entails evaluating the theories supporting active learning, analyzing their activity patterns, and exploring the housing options for the seniors, among other factors. In this regard, the paper establishes an extensive analysis of the concept of housing as discussed during the course to integrate the aging population in Canada with the fictional character Henry using empirical evidence.

Background

Canada is among the developing nations with an aging population. The country is considered to have the fourth-longest life expectancy at birth that is 81 years. According to Statistics Canada (2011), life expectancy for both men and women at the age of 65 years is 17.4years and 20.8years, respectively. By the year 2015, there were more older adults in Canada than at any other time in history. The population of senior citizens surpassed that of the youth, and this situation is expected to continue rising. The National Framework on Aging identifies some core values that promote senior citizens' well-being and contribution to Canada. These values are fairness, dignity, inclusion, security, and independence (McDonald & Donahue, 2011). The older citizens are also offered social housing, income support, and quality healthcare, among other benefits that guarantee a good quality of life.

The Concept of Housing for the Aging Population in Canada

One of the major public policy and aging concept in Canada is that of the housing. There is a vast array of housing options for the senior citizens that depend on the nature of the specific situation of the elderly individual. According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, the government has continued to support the increased development of housing programs by investing significant amounts of money into the project. Furthermore, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) has also embarked on implementing relevant initiatives and programs. Some of these programs include the introduction of tax credits that create a substantial platform for the individuals to access affordable accommodation and the expansion of the Rent Supplement Program that offers subsidiaries to the people living in privately owned homes (Ontario Human Rights Commission, n.d.). All these intervention measures are geared toward managing the underlying issue of having a significant number of older people being homeless. As such, the management approaches are bound to ensure that senior citizens who are likely to be evicted due to the eradication of rent controls and insufficient low-cost housing are catered for and provided with alternatives.

The issue of affordability is relatively critical, especially to the homeless senior citizens. The removal of rent controls has influenced such an issue, the lack of a guarantee for new mortgages from the MMAH and the CMHC, as well as the inconsistent increase in pension concerning the increase in rental costs (Health Quality Ontario, 2015). To address this issue, all the involved personnel and organizations must evaluate subsidized housing. It varies the potential of making a senior citizen living in dire poverty and homeless. More innovative and creative housing initiatives have to be established through various agencies while considering low-income citizens. Moreover, shelter allowances should also be provided that derives the idea from a US program known as the Section 8 Voucher program (Health Quality Ontario, 2015). Overall, rent controls have to be restored as well as the grants and incentives for subsidized housing to manage the issue of affordability.

On the other hand, there are other substantial solutions to housing, depending on the prevailing preferences or the situation of the older person concerning the public or private provisions. One of these solutions is social housing geared towards providing affordable housing for individuals with rental accommodation issues based on health, income, or age-related needs. This is also based on the municipal service secluding some units for the frail elderly while also providing mandatory priority access to the respective housing units assigned to the individuals with special needs. The other solution is accessible housing that would focus on managing the issue of having some units inaccessible to specific groups of senior citizens. Such an approach aims to ensure that all older citizens are offered access to quality residential places that offer them security, independence, dignity, and inclusivity (Lee, 2016). It is also based on prioritizing flexible housing, access to the community, and barrier-free design measures. Finally, aging in place could also be practiced as an effective and substantial solution as it is critical to senior citizens' independent living. The living arrangements do not have to be made because these people are old; instead, they should be made in such a way that the senior citizens can live wherever they prefer. Therefore, with such recommendations and courses of action, the elderly in Canada will be provided with a considerable quality lifestyle.

The Concept of Housing as it Applies to Henry the Fictional Character from the Case Studies

Henry, the case studies' fictional character, does not prefer to relocate to another residence or environment. He is adversely affected by his wife's demise due to the unavailability of psychological and social support that he was used to having. By not being able to accept the challenges that life has brought to him, Henry begins to live dangerously to the extent of not even taking showers and failing to comply with the prescriptions for his medicine. Not only does is he not willing to relocate to a new environment, but he also does not want to go outside, and neither does he engage in the things he had an interest in prior to his wife's demise. It is now upon the daughters, who are the informal form of support that Henry has, to take care of their father by doing all the domestic work and refilling his medicine. For an individual such as Henry, relocating to a new place could be significantly scary. As such, it is imperative to consider the factors of independence, security, and individual preference when changing residences.

From the case study, it is evident that Henry does not want to leave his home probably due to the emotional attachment he holds to it or because he does not see any other place that would be suitable. Either way, Henry could consider moving to a place that would be more convenient for him and his daughters. This would ensure that the frustrations, tiredness, and disappointments held by the daughters are managed. One of the options that could be effective is opting for the aging in place as it could suit Henry, considering that it maintains his independence and flexibility while also providing convenience to those around him and caregivers. Henry can also opt to take the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) that would assist him in making the required renovations (Novak, Campbell, Northcott, 2018). Such a program can also provide relief for his daughters when they need to take a break while their father is still being taken care of, be it at his original home or an adult care center. There are various options for Henry when it comes to housing that only depends on his willingness and cooperation.

Amid the available housing options, Henry is required to stay active within the community by living a healthy lifestyle and engaging in social activities. Depending on the housing program or location that will be found suitable for Henry, his quality of life and welfare is on the line. Like many other senior citizens, Henry prefers to stay in his residence where he is comfortable. The major things to consider for his housing are means of transport, food, and care delivery. As for food, there are nutritious meals provided by the government for the elderly and the disabled, while for transport, he could find public means or Revera that only provides services to seniors (Cruikshank, 2008). As for care delivery, Henry can be looked after through Vel's formal means, his support worker and informal means by his daughters.

Conclusion

The aging Canadian society is characterized by various challenges as well as opportunities based on day-to-day living. In most cases, people dwell in their generational residences while older adults are increasingly becoming grandparents at the peak of their careers (Novak, Campbell and Northcott, 2018). Many of the caregivers are bound to support various generations based on the increasing rate of older adults while they also care for their aging parents and grandchildren. As such, the older population imposes a significant impact on the society based on the aspects of retirement, real estate, as well as opportunities for the youths.