Commentaries, Aging Population & Its Potential Impact

Our expert advisors have written opinion pieces on important health policy topics, published in leading media outlets across the country. We are making these articles available to everyone, free of charge, with a Creative Commons license, so that you may use them in your publication or on your website. See also our Commentaries in French.

Evidence is important to us, and we are committed to getting the evidence right — even when it can be interpreted in a number of ways. If you feel we have not represented the evidence accurately or fairly in these opinion pieces, please let us know. Browse our Commentaries by category, below, or view them all here.

It’s time to expand assisted-dying legislation to include advance directives for dementia It’s time to expand assisted-dying legislation to include advance directives for dementia
By Stuart Chambers

The assisted-dying bill (Bill C-14) was passed in Canada almost a year ago, but not without its detractors — on both sides of the issue.

Don’t let seniors’ care in Canada become a private equity money maker Don’t let seniors’ care in Canada become a private equity money maker
By Margaret McGregor and Lisa Ronald
It's-time-to-change-the-way-we-view-exercise-for-frail-and-critically-ill-patients Exercise is not just for the fit, it helps the frail elderly and critically ill too
By Michelle Kho
Canada needs a comprehensive strategy to improve prescription drug safety for seniors Canada needs a comprehensive strategy to improve prescription drug safety for seniors
By Nicole F. Bernier

Four years ago, at age 84, my dad survived a severe stroke. The downside is that during his hospital stay this otherwise fit person was put on a drug regimen and has been taking nine prescription drugs a day ever since.

Frailty-and-the-new-Ageism Frailty and the new ageism
By Kenneth Rockwood

Should medicine be ageist? A young trainee doctor recently proposed to me that it should. Healthcare is overstretched, she argued. “We can’t do everything for everyone, so why spend money on old people, who have little chance of benefit?”

Why ‘frailty’ matters
By John Muscedere and Fred Horne

Addressing the specific needs of Canada’s frail older adults would improve health outcomes and quality of life ― and reduce health costs

Re-thinking care for Canada’s aging population
By Neena Chappell and Marcus Hollander

As the population ages, there is a growing belief that a tsunami of elderly patients will bankrupt the healthcare system, but evidence shows that this is a misconception.

Do we really need an expanded CPP Do we really need an expanded CPP?
By Robert Brown

The Fraser Institute has argued recently that the federal government has failed to make a convincing case for Canada Pension Plan (CPP) expansion.

New Health Accord should reject per capita funding model New Health Accord should reject per capita funding model — and consider frailty instead
By John Muscedere and Samir Sinha

When the previous Health Accord expired in 2014, the Harper government unilaterally established a new funding model for federal health transfer payments to the provinces and territories based on an equal per capita basis.

The good, the bad and the unintended consequences of an expanded CPP The good, the bad and the unintended consequences of an expanded CPP
By Robert Brown

Amazingly, eight of ten provincial finance ministers and the federal government have agreed to a modest increase in the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).


| Next 10 »



License to Republish: Our commentaries and videos are provided under the terms of a CreativeCommons Attribution No-Derivatives license. This license allows for free redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to the author and EvidenceNetwork.ca
EvidenceNetwork.ca supports the use evidence when reporting on health and health policy in the mainstream media. Specific points of view represented here are the author’s and not those of EvidenceNetwork.ca. Let us know how we’re doing: [email protected]