The "affliction" of old age

There's a lot of talk these days about health care.

Instead of wasting time wading into the debate on private versus public systems, I’ll just state my position. My loyalties lie in a properly funded, fully universal pubic system in Canada. Full stop.

But I have some additional thoughts. While we’ve done a good job in Canada until now, the system must adapt to changing demographics if we are to continue to call our system truly universal and fix gaps that people have begun falling through.

Last Saturday, I attended a 50th wedding anniversary celebration which included a church service, renewal of vows and a party that went all night. The speeches and tributes poured in, and a few critical things stuck out in my mind. While standing at the microphone, many asked how common 50th wedding anniversaries would be amongst Generation X-ers, or any of the younger generations for that matter?

Poignant question -- ironically, when I looked around, most of the young people in the room had their heads buried in the 3-by-4 screen of their Blackberrys. They weren't listening.

Perhaps the more important observation was the age of many of the people in attendance. Some were in their 50s and 60s, but most were well into their 70s and 80s – they were sprightly and active, but growing older and more fragile. I got to thinking about how our system is coping with the elderly and whether or not we are providing this generation – who are entering the final stages of their lives and who fought difficult wars, built our country’s highways and cities, worked hard picking crops for minimum wage – with dignified, respectful and attentive healthcare.

It’s easy to forget about the old. They are no longer productive members of our reality-TV-text-till-your-fingers-bleed-tech-savvy-society. We have discarded them in ‘assisted living’ homes because we want them to be comfortable and yet, we are too busy to visit. So even if they are living with relative health into their 80s and 90s thanks to advances in medicine, is their quality of life better?

And that led me to think more about the ethical questions surrounding healthcare in Canada. If we are providing universal healthcare, are the elderly entitled to the same levels of care as someone who is younger? What about keeping the elderly alive – where do we draw the line in terms of resources? A recent New York Times magazine article on healthcare “rationing” was the impetus for many of my thoughts.

The author, bioethics professor at Princeton University, Peter Singer, readily admits the complexity spans well beyond a money-value binary. The article helped reaffirm in my mind what I believe to be critical attributes we must ensure are in place in Canada as boomers begin to grey. These include: an income tax methodology that ensures proper revenue flows targeted directly to healthcare; ramped up funding for research and development in the Canadian pharmaceutical industry to encourage greater innovation; a strong regulatory framework to keep the Canadian healthcare system among the very best in the world; funding to ensure proper equipment and training for healthcare professionals to help save lives and decrease waiting times; and, of course, a system that is 100 per cent publicly owned.

But I would also add one important addition to that list: substantial new investments in geriatric care and medicine in each and every major city across Canada. If we are to properly recognize the achievement of our citizens and the significance of our history, we are obliged to ensure that the "affliction" of old age is not an excuse for neglect. After all, anyone with foresight can see that it is an inevitable affliction for us all.