Aging Population

Aging Population and Its Potential Impact

What’s the Issue?

Canada’s population is aging and per capita healthcare costs increase with age. Many political commentators have put these facts together to predict how the aging population threatens the sustainability of Canada’s healthcare system.  But what if some other facts are thrown into the mix?

  • The aged are only a small part of the population.  An increase in the aged population is still only a small percentage of a small percentage.
  • Too many Canadians are being persuaded to use more expensive treatments including brand-name drugs for which there are cheaper alternatives. That is, for many brand name drugs there are cheaper generic versions which are biologically equivalent. This isn’t just a problem for the elderly.
  • There are examples out there for how to do things more efficiently which will save money.

Most Canadians might also be surprised to know that an aging population is nothing new.  Canada’s population has been aging for the past 40 years now.  This means that there’s already lots of data on how an aging population really affects healthcare.  And a lot of concrete ideas on how to manage it without breaking the bank.

Evidence

  • Who cares? Aging boomers and caregiving policy in Canada. This video is a presentation from the Big Thinking Lecture Series on Parliament Hill, where Dr. Janice M. Keefe explores what we can do to support family and caregivers in our society.
  • When a Nursing Home Is Home: How Do Canadian Nursing Homes Measure Up on Quality? This report and accompanying Quick Stats establish a baseline for assessing the quality of care provided to nursing home residents, using risk-adjusted indicators. The report also highlights several nursing homes that have improved performance over time
  • Our in-house expert, Dr. Kimberlyn McGrail: Higher utilization, not aging, is driving up healthcare spending. Check out the video on the EvidenceNetwork.ca – You Tube channel!
  • From healthydebate.ca: Will the Aging Population Bankrupt our Health Care System? Many believe that aging of the population is the main cause of increased health care costs. If this is true, this paints an exceptionally worrying picture about the sustainability of health care in the future. However, somewhat surprisingly, the majority of researchers don’t believe that aging plays a major role in increasing health care costs. What’s the story? This story features videos from Stephen Duckett, former CEO of Alberta Health Services, and Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Mt Sinai and University Health Network Hospitals. View the story here.

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