Wales Older Care Review has Legal Clout

Ruth Marks, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, is undertaking her first review. She has chosen to focus on older people in a heath care or social care setting.  Are they being treated with appropriate dignity and respect? Ruth's legal powers make her globally unique in her ability to act in protection of older citizens. In a short video clip, Ruth outlines the scope of her review, as well as her responsibilities, powers and strategies for ensuring that appropriate care standards are maintained or improved as necessary to safeguard the rights of her constituency. The video may be viewed at: http://www.olderpeoplewales.com/index.php?id=436

How Age-Friendly is a Modern City?

When Secretary General Jane Barratt was asked recently by the Toronto Star to help evaluate Canada’s largest city, she found plenty of room for improvement. However, Jane emphasizes that older citizens deserve better than cries of alarm and panic at the growing number of over-65’s. This age group is the fastest growing population segment in the Greater Toronto Area. Projecting the latest census trends, by 2031 over-65's will make up 16 percent of the population, and the population of those over 75 will have increased by 50 percent.

“Let’s stop being frightened of being older, because older people have a significant contribution to make, says Jane. “Look at it that way, instead of looking at it as a burden on society.”

Like many modern cities, Toronto has made major adjustments to support changing populations, including the influx of vibrant and diverse immigrant groups. A positive spirit of welcoming and accommodation needs to be extended to an ‘influx’ of older citizens as the population ages. Hand wringing and alarm cries have no place in the planning and implementation of measures to support such an important population segment.

Barratt has several tips for Toronto in order to make it more age-friendly.