Dr. Sharon Straus and Dr. Ashley Verduyn
Ontario’s population—like Canada’s—is aging more rapidly than ever. In the next 10 years, Canada will join so-called ‘super-aged’ countries, such as Germany and Japan, where an estimated one in five people are now over the age of 65. Amidst this demographic shift, older adults will face significant health challenges: cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, arthritis, obesity, heart and respiratory diseases, as well as dementia, which can lead to increased hospitalizations and long-term disabilities, and reduced quality of life.
In the following abridged Q&A, Dr. Sharon Straus, a geriatrician and the incoming Executive Vice-President, Clinical and Chief Medical Officer at Unity Health Toronto, and Dr. Ashley Verduyn, Vice-President of Medical Affairs and Chief of Providence Healthcare, address the severe challenges facing our aging population and healthcare institutions, and reveal their transformative vision of healthy aging.
Q: With the demographic shift that will see one in four Canadians over 65 years old and twice as many people over 80, what does an aging population mean for geriatric medicine and long-term care in Ontario?
Dr. Straus: First and foremost, it’s important to look at the proportion of older people living in Ontario and the rest of Canada. We are not unique—there are a lot of similar demographic trends in other countries. Next, it’s important to look more closely at the number of older people with chronic health conditions, whether it’s diabetes or arthritis, or a heart problem or cognitive impairment, and how we can improve their quality of life, throughout the care continuum, and better meet the needs of their caregivers.
Dr. Verduyn: I agree. There are many inaccurate and negative stereotypes about aging, such as the belief that aging inevitably leads to decline in cognitive and physical abilities. Although the risk of chronic diseases increases with age, these conditions do not affect everyone, nor do they affect people in the same ways. Aging is highly diverse: some older adults may need support, but many remain healthy, strong and independent as they grow older.
Q: What is Providence’s and St. Michael’s vision for long-term care and healthy aging?
Dr. Verduyn: Providence is one of Ontario’s largest post-acute centres offering rehabilitation, long-term and palliative care. Our campus provides comprehensive services to support individuals at various life stages, including those who can no longer live independently due to physical or cognitive decline—or both. Additionally, we offer a range of community-focused services designed to help older adults live well in their own homes. Our fundamental purpose is to improve the health of older adults, enabling them to live more fully and thrive, and to help people age in place, as healthily and vibrantly as they can.
Dr. Straus: I agree. We need to work with older adults and their caregivers to come up with innovative ways to increase their ability to live the way that they want and to improve their overall quality of life. We’ve shown that we can do this through our models of care for older people living with dementia or experiencing homelessness. We now need to evaluate and implement these new models across the care continuum, before sharing our insights with other institutions, and informing guidelines and policies on geriatric medicine and long-term care.
Q: How confident are you that another generation of clinicians and other healthcare practitioners will be attracted to geriatric medicine and long-term care?
Dr. Verduyn: Working with older adults is incredibly rewarding. What truly sets Providence apart from other long-term care homes and hospitals is our mission and values—focused on compassion, human dignity, inclusivity, community and excellence—and our emphasis on staff and physician wellness. This supportive work culture and professional development not only fosters staff’s long-term commitment to the hospital, but also enables them to form strong, lasting connections with our patients and residents.
Q: How optimistic are you that the healthcare system will be ready for a greater number of older adults in Ontario?
Dr. Straus: Clearly, there are tremendous pressures and so many different priorities in geriatric medicine and long-term care. But we have a unique opportunity to address the ageism within our health system and society today. And we have a chance to work in close partnership with older adults to make sure that their diverse needs are centered in all that we do and that the health system works even better for them in the future. After all, every human being deserves to be treated with dignity and respect—no matter their stage in life.
To read the full version of this interview, click here.
Interested in learning more about or supporting the work on healthy aging at Providence Healthcare and St. Michael’s Hospital? Contact Justyna Jonca at JoncaJ@smh.ca.
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