An ‘Old’ Issue Grows New Legs – Managing An Aging Population
You are living under a rock if you aren’t aware that Canada’s population is aging, and that trend is expected to continue for the next 25 years, at least. This will present myriad challenges to us as a society. Will it put a strain on our income assistance programs, such as Old Age Security? Of course, as it will our health care system, and many other programs that were not designed for this rate of increase in the aged population while birth rates are on a decline. It is a complicated web of socio-economic factors that we, as Canadians, will have to endure and mitigate, quickly.
Beyond the economic challenges, and what should be considerably more important, is quality of life. As we age, our internal systems start to degrade, and in some cases, shut down. In Canada, we are fortunate that we are ranked #5 across the world when it comes to caring for the elderly. What’s more, we are ranked #2 across the world when it comes to health status, and consequently, the life expectancy for Canadians is on the rise. To conclude: we have more seniors, living longer and healthier lives.
One major component in all of this is trending in the wrong direction, however, and that is the number of seniors losing their driver’s license. It is on the rise, and the average age of seniors losing their license is getting lower. You can likely see where this is going. More seniors in the population, living longer lives, and fewer of them having a driver’s license. It presents a unique challenge, one that could be considered a developing crisis. Compound that with the fact that only 65% of Canadians who are over the age of 50 have access to public transit.
This certainly puts a spotlight on the need for a nationwide transit strategy, as well as unique solutions offered by Canadian companies to ensure that our aging population can maintain their independence, and quality of life, while they migrate through a very difficult process.
One thing is clear for sure, if you have aging family members, have a plan in place for supporting them financially, and ensuring their quality of life. It would appear that the well is likely going to dry up, making it more and more difficult to receive income assistance. Also, identify potential hurdles to transportation, and ensure you have a plan in place to provide your aging family member the tools they need to maintain their independence.
Driverseat offers elderly accompaniment services. Chauffeurs can be hired to accompany an elderly individual to travel to appointments, get groceries, or simply to go out for lunch. The driver will assist the individual in the store, carry goods into the house, or help a senior in and out of the doctor’s office.
Driverseat is a vehicle transportation company specializing in designated driving, airport drop-off, elderly accompaniment and special event transportation. Find out more information at https://www.driverseatinc.com/.
