Healthy Aging

Research Highlights

• Health is not merely the absence of disease; it is also the capacity to adapt, respond, or control life’s challenges and changes
• Seniors are now healthier than ever
• With increasing age, the prevalence of health conditions and disabilities increases
• The most common type of chronic conditions among seniors living in Ontario is arthritis or rheumatism
• Nutrition is fundamental to the overall health of seniors, but healthy eating can become more difficult as individuals age
• Seniors with strong social networks, who feel useful to society and participate actively in it, have lower mortality and better physical and mental health
• Senior populations at risk of living in isolation include:
  • Seniors living alone
  • Seniors living in rural Wellington without transportation
  • Seniors without local family support
  • Immigrants who have been sponsored by children, and who may not speak English; they are often not connected outside their homes
  • Elderly couples, where one spouse is caring for another and has limited respite opportunities

The Changing Picture of Aging
Research shows that people today live longer than ever before. Most Canadians will spend nearly one third of their life as “retirees” or “senior citizens”. Four and even five-generation families are no longer unusual.¹ Most seniors are in better physical and mental shape than their predecessors, and their economic situation is much improved. New generations of seniors differ from earlier generations. They have higher education levels, more varied work experiences, a better knowledge of community and government programs and services, and are more open to health promotion messages, more inclined to participate in educational, political and voluntary activities, and more likely to demand their rights.²

Public Perceptions of Aging
Public perceptions of aging and seniors are important, because they influence society's decisions about them. For example, earlier views of seniors were of poor, feeble and deserving of support. The result: age-based public and private pension programs and mandatory retirement. This stereotype is changing. The vitality and prosperity of many seniors, combined with a difficult social and economic climate, conjures upa very different image of seniors as wealthy, capable and less deserving of support.³

This change has brought both negative and positive results:

• On the negative side, there is a tendency to lose sight of the needs of "vulnerable seniors" and to forget that the proportion of seniors living in poverty is similar to the proportion of children who are poor.
• On the positive side, the new image creates more interest in and understanding of seniors' paid and unpaid contributions to society, challenges mandatory retirement practices, and encourages a more thoughtful approach to entitlements - one that looks at needs and capacities, instead of age alone.⁴

Health Status
Health is not merely the absence of disease. It has been defined as “the capacity of people to adapt to, respond to, or control life’s challenges and changes.”⁵

Health status is heavily influenced by social, economic and behavioural factors. Seniors with less education and from lower socio-economic levels experience more disease, a shorter life expectancy and poor emotional well-being. Social and economic factors also influence individual lifestyle behaviours, such as tobacco use, nutrition and physical activities, which in turn are closely related to health outcomes.

A positive perception of one’s own health is an indication of a sense of overall well-being that takes into account not only one’s problems but, more importantly one’s capacity to cope with problems. Most seniors describe their health in positive terms. According to the Ontario Health Survey (1996/97), 43% of seniors 65+ and 40% of seniors 75+ rate their health as “excellent” or very good”.⁶

Prevalence of Health Conditions & Disabilities
Seniors are living longer lives, with an increase in the number of years spent with slight or no disability. Nevertheless, the prevalence of health conditions and disabilities increases with age. In 1997, 82% of Canadian seniors living at home reported that they have been diagnosed with at least one chronic health condition, while 25% had a long-term disability.⁷

According to A Profile of the Elderly Population in the Central West Planning Area (2002)⁸ older adults in Guelph-Wellington-Dufferin experience a variety of problems with:

• Vision (beyond corrective lenses) 8%
• Hearing 12%
• Mobility 11%
• Cognition 27%
• Experiencing some form of pain 22%

Disease later in life is more often chronic than acute. Among Ontario seniors, the most common type of chronic conditions is arthritis or rheumatism, with 45% of seniors reporting this problem. This is followed by high blood pressure, reported by 34% of the seniors’ population.

Adapted from Statistics Canada’s “National Population Health Survey, 1996-97."⁹

Nutrition
Nutrition is a fundamental element of healthy human development and a vital contributor to the overall health of seniors. Healthy eating provides essential energy and nutrients of general well-being, maintenance of health and functional autonomy, and prevention of chronic diseases at older ages.

Energy needs are believed to decline with age because of decreased basal metabolism hormonal functions, reduction in lean body mass and a more sedentary lifestyle. In seniors, appetite, which is a decisive factor of food intake is strongly influenced by medication, presence of physical or psychological disease, and some physiological sensory functions such as taste and smell.¹⁰

Maintaining a proper diet also becomes more difficult as people age. For example, seniors may become tired of cooking and eating alone, or frustrated with following special diets. They may have limited knowledge/experience in cooking/food preparation (e.g. widowers, cooking for one versus a family), and encounter difficulties grocery shopping due to physical and transportation limitations.

Social Support Networks
Existing research indicates that social support networks are central to the health and independence of seniors. Seniors with strong social networks, who feel useful to society and participate actively in it, have lower mortality and better physical and mental health.¹¹

Many seniors lose their social support networks – spouses and friends die or are moved to residential care facilities. Many children move away from their home community to seek employment and are not geographically available to offer the support required. One in 10 seniors aged 70 and older (who have children) have no children living within one-and-a-half hours of travel time.¹²

Isolation directly impacts on an individual’s quality of life. Socially isolated individuals can easily fall into the spiral of doing less and less activities, including activities of daily living such as self care (e.g. bathing, grooming, mouth care), exercise and meal preparation. The senior’s quality of life slowly decreased.

Aging in Rural Communities
There are two prevailing notions about rural communities and the older adults who live there. The first is that smaller is better and that seniors who live in rural communities are surrounded by networks of family and friends who will support them. The second is that rural communities afford reduced access to formal services due to distance from service centres.¹³ Such opinions are an oversimplification. Research findings indicate that supportive communities are those in which residents have lived for a long time, have a higher proportion of seniors, and a culture of helping one another is in place.

It is important to recognize that support networks cannot substitute for services, as both social and physical elements of communities are important to seniors.

Community Supports & Services
Many seniors become involved in community activities and these have an effect on their autonomy and quality of life. Such activities have a major, positive impact on individual well-being and indirectly contribute to reducing health and social service costs.¹⁴

There are a variety of service clubs, sports groups, religious organizations, etc. providing social and recreation opportunities for seniors residing in the community. The following is a list of six non-profit organizations serving seniors’ in Guelph-Wellington. They, by no means, represent the range of leisure opportunities available.

North Wellington Senior Council is a coalition of seniors’ clubs in North Wellington. Through its CREATE Rural Vitality program, the Council provides volunteer transportation, recreation, education workshops, and advocacy.

Victoria Park Seniors Centre, located in Fergus, offers recreation, education and fitness opportunities, along with special events and workshops for older adults. Membership is open to anyone 55 years and over.

East Wellington Advisory Group (EWAG), 109 Club is an informal drop-in program for seniors living in East Wellington, offering recreational drop-in programs, education classes and workshops, and health and wellness clinics.

Guelph/Wellington Seniors Association is a non-profit organization that works in partnership with the City of Guelph Community Services Department to promote seniors' activities and services. Memberships are available for anyone 55 years and over.

Evergreen Seniors Centre offers a multitude of courses, workshops and other activities. The Centre has a gymnasium/auditorium, a health room, a computer lab and a public dining room. The Centre keeps information on where to go for help when it is needed. It also keeps a list of people who can be hired to do odd jobs for seniors. Most activities listed charge a small "pay as you go, or a set yearly fee".

Guelph Enabling Garden, located in Riverside Park, is designed for people of all ages with varying degrees of physical and cognitive ability. The garden features accessible paths, visual cues, Braille signage, accessible benches, work areas and tools, raised garden beds, and horticultural therapy.

What are the Social Service Issues in Guelph-Wellington? Social Isolation
A majority of community agencies surveyed by the United Way Community Services of Guelph and Wellington identified social isolation as a key issue. They also advocate for the need for recreation programs that allow seniors, especially those experiencing similar issues, to socialize.

The Specialized Geriatric Service Project (Spring 2004) identifies the following populations at risk of living in isolation:

• Seniors living alone
• Seniors living in rural Wellington without transportation
• Seniors without local family support
• Immigrants who have been sponsored by children, and who may not speak English; they are often not connected outside their homes
• Elderly couples, where one spouse is caring for another and has limited respite opportunities

Projects funded under the New Horizons: Partners in Aging program found the following:¹⁵

• Seniors who are isolated socially are likely to have a wide range of health problems and risk factors which further limit their social support networks and often those of their informal caregivers as well.
• Just because family members live near-by, it cannot be assumed that they are providing needed social support.
• Demands of caregiving for seniors can result in total isolation of both caregivers and seniors who receive this care.
• Being house-bound can be a barrier to receiving services and educational programs that could contribute to the creation of a social network.
• Many seniors are isolated because they do not speak English or French and/or have a different cultural background.
• Geographic isolation, social isolation, low income and lack of access to support networks often go hand-in-hand.
• People who have suffered a recent loss or change of lifestyle are often in situations of high risk and may need help re-building social structures in their everyday lives.

Everyone needs some time alone, but being alone against one’s will can be very painful. Seniors risk losing their sense of purpose and self-worth, and are prone to depression.

1. Canadian Mental Health Association (2005), Fact sheets on seniors and mental illness. Available at www.ontario.cmha.ca/content/about_mental_illness/seniors.asp.
2. National Advisory Council on Aging (1999). 1999 and Beyond: Challenges of an Aging Canadian Society. National Advisory Council on Aging.
3. Ibid
4. Ibid
5. National Advisory Council on Aging (1999). 1999 and Beyond: Challenges of an Aging Canadian Society. National Advisory Council on Aging. Definition from the Institute of Health Promotion Research at the University of British Columbia.
6. Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (2005). Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat: Senior Smart Ontario – Statistics on Seniors Lifestyle. Available at www.citizenship.gov.on.ca.
7. Statistics Canada. The Daily. Friday, October 1, 1999.
8. Wellington Dufferin Expert Geriatric Services Project – Final Report – March 2005 with data from the Central West Health Planning Information Network & The Regional Geriatric Program Centre. A Profile of the Elderly Population in the Central West Planning Area, 2002.
9. Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration (2005). Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat: Senior Smart Ontario – Statistics on Seniors Lifestyle. Available at www.citizenship.gov.on.ca.
10. Health Canada, Division of Aging and Seniors (2002). “Healthy Aging – Nutrition and Health Aging”. Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada; Cat.: H39-612/2002-3E.
11. National Advisory Council on Aging (1999). 1999 and Beyond: Challenges of an Aging Canadian Society. National Advisory Council on Aging.
12. Rosenthal, C. (1987). Aging and intergenerational relations in Canada. In V. Marshall ed. Aging in Canada: Social Perspectives. Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whiteside.
13. Dobbs, B., Swinder, J., Keating, N., Eales, J., & Keefe, J. (December 2004). Caring Context of Rural Seniors - Phase 2 Report. Veteran Affairs Canada.
14. National Advisory Council on Aging (1999). 1999 and Beyond: Challenges of an Aging Canadian Society. National Advisory Council on Aging.
15. MacLeod, L & Assoc. (1997). Toward Healthy-Aging Communities: A population health approach. Health Canada: The Division of Aging and Seniors.