03/07/2023
Welcome friends! Swipe through this post to reado about shortages/pitfalls of the health care system and the effects they have on our seniors.
Through our survey we found some alarming results, so many of you identified some very upsetting truths about our healthcare system. Specifically how lack of resources and staff shortages impact our seniors and their care.
⚪ additional costs - a large burden on seniors care!
Seniors are often on small and fixed incomes, prescriptions aren't always covered, most seniors go without dental coverage, and to maintain independence some seniors need assistive devices, like pocket-talkers, glasses, hearing aides or ambulatory devices.
⚪ another interesting topic is transportation - some seniors are lucky enough to have family/friends to support then when it comes to transportation. Alternative transportation can be difficult to navigate and pricey!
⚪ an obvious point to consider is the lack of physicians, nurses, PSWs and other support staff.
◽ did you know "31% of Canada's seniors needing help with activities of daily living reported not receiving care during the past year because services were cancelled or limited due to the pandemic" (William's, R., et al., 2021)
⚪ with limited staff, seniors are being forced into overcrowded and ill-equipped emergency rooms, they lack routine follow up on medications, testing, and screening tools. Seniors often struggle in their community settings with little to no professional support and are often forced to rely on their family and friends.
A question for our followers: after reading our most recent posts
What would you consider as a "stepping stone" or "step 1" for reducing our seniors population of these disparities?
Williams, R., Shah, A., Doty, M., Fields, K., FitzGerald, M. (2021, September 15). The Impact of COVID-19 on Older Adults: Findings from the 2021 International Health Policy Survey of Older Adults. The Commonwealth Fund. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/surveys/2021/sep/impact-covid-19-older-adults
