Aging Society in Canada

Hyuna
EAP2 B WW
Research Paper

Many old people are increasing in the world. Not only is population growth slowing, but also the age structure of the population is changing, with the share of the young falling and that of the elderly rising. Canada is one of the countries that have this problem. According to “Aging and the Canadian Population” (n.d.), “A Canadian born in 1960, for example, can expect to live 20 years longer than a Canadian who was born in 1900. Meanwhile birth rates have declined, so that a growing proportion of the population is over 65. By the year 2031, approximately 20% of Canada's population - one in five - will be seniors. This fact has important consequences for Canadian society. Who are these older Canadians? What are their roles in society? What are their needs? How will they be taken care of?” (para. 2). The Canada’s government should carefully consider what to do for old people of the future. There are four specific actions they should take. First, Canada should increase medical benefits for old people. Next, Canada should make good places for old people. Third, Canada should offer a regular occupation for old people. Finally, there should be a limit on the support government offers seniors. In fact, this age structure plays an important role because we can know a lot of information from the age structure about cultural, political, and economic.

Canadian age structure “provides the distribution of the population according to age. Information is included by sex and age group (0-14 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over)” (CIA World Factbook, 2007, para. 2). The problem is “one in seven Canadians was 65 or older, and the number of people reaching retirement was at a record high” (Ljunggren, 2007, para. 2). According to “Age structure of the population” (2006), we can know how to move the age structure from 1961 to 2005. In Canada, 6.7 percent of people were over 64 in 1961, 8 percent in 1970, 9.4 percent in 1980, 11.30 percent in 1990, 12.6 percent in 2000, and 13.1 percent in 2005. This seems that old people are increasing little by little. In an aging society, there are many problems. “With the high cost of living, it does become increasingly difficult to maintain a decent lifestyle, despite government aid, if one does not plan ahead. These additional expenses may cause hardships for seniors who live on a limited monthly income” (Vassallo, 2000, para. 8). However, there is a disagreement about this problem. Some people say that the fact that there are many old people proves that the society is a developed country. “To determine the impact of the aging boomers, let’s begin with the health care system. According to many health economists, the annual increase in health care costs caused by the aging of the population will range from 1 to 2 %, which they deem “manageable”” (Gleberzon and Cutler, 2007, para. 5).

First, the Canadian government should give old people a medical benefit. The Canadian government will try to increase educational programs and training for physicians because of better treatment. According to Vassallo (2000), “The Canadian government fully supports further research into the causes and treatment of related diseases and illness. These challenges continue to be met as indicators show decreases in incidence rates of chronic diseases among seniors, and increases in early detection and additional health care resources” (para. 3). The government offers little free treatment for old people because over 65-year-old people get bodily illness easily. In addition, old people have to receive a periodic medical check-up. There are a lot of differences between people in their late sixties and people in their twenties. Old people particularly are subject to disease. Old people also have a slower recovery than young people, so a periodic medical check-up is important for old people. Moreover, the government receives low insurance value from old people. Some governments will carry out this plan. “Another government program that is going to suffer the effects of the aging baby-boomer population is federal payments to seniors, including the venerable ‘old-age pension’ and the guaranteed income supplement for lower-income seniors. With 13% of the population now 65 or older, the federal government expects to spend $31 billion in payments to seniors in 2006” (Fortin, 2006, para. 6). Therefore, Canada has to try to improve a medical benefit for old people.

Secondly, the Canadian government should make more welfare facilities for old people. The government makes some rooms that old people spend time in or take a break in. This is like a hall for the aged, an academy for the aged. The government has to make these buildings for old people because there are many old people who stay at home wasting time. Then, old people can learn something that they need in their life at an academy and meet other people in a hall for the aged. The government also helps old people who do not move alone. If people take on years, they will get illness or become weak their body easily. They need to be helped by someone, so the government should think about voluntary service that helps old people. Next, the government has to improve nursing home care. A welfare facility should operate for humane treatment of old people from a standpoint of the care. “The challenge in providing services for Canada's growing population of older citizens, whether in the field of housing, traditional medical services or community social services, is to meet those needs through the widest range of options” (Aging and the Canadian Population, n.d.). Therefore, the government should provide diverse and useful opportunities to old people for social participation.

Third, the Canadian government should give old people a regular occupation after they are retrained for skilled positions. Canada has the highest rate of retirement. According to Ljunggren (2007), “The central statistics agency, releasing the results of a 2006 census, said about one in seven Canadians was 65 or older, and the number of people reaching retirement was at a record high” (para. 2). The high rate of retirement means that there are a lot of old people. Although, old people have some sources of income, they may be temporary. “Seniors have four possible sources of income: government transfers, private retirement plans, employment earnings and the wealth they have accumulated over their lifetime. With the benefits of Registered Retirement Savings Plan paying off for those investors, the proportion of low-income seniors has declined significantly in the last 15 years, from 34% in 1980 to 19% in 1990” (Vassallo, 2000, para. 4). On the other hand, if old people get a job after they are retrained for skilled positions, perhaps young people will shrink the burden for tax or the cost of living that young people give their parents money. Old people can help the government economically. "Population projections show that in about 10 years, Canada may have more people at the age where they can leave the labor force than at the age where they can begin working. This presents considerable challenges for Canadian employers and for society in general" (Ljunggren, 2007, para. 4). In addition, the government can shrink the pension system. For example, if old people continue to work after they are over 65-years-old, the government does not have to worry about pension system. It means that the government can get two benefits because there are many workers, and this makes economic growth. Therefore, Canada has to make a regular occupation for seniors.

Some people say that there should be a limit on the support government offers seniors, because a lot of money should be spent for old people. In addition, young people who have jobs have to spend a lot of business hours earning money because the government uses one part of this money for old people. If the government continually provides great advantage to seniors, it may bring bad situations from young people. One of the effects is that young people can get a heavy burden from their parents, because their parents who are at least over 60 years old live in retirement. For example, there are young couples that get married. They live in a house including their parents. They have jobs and earn enough money, but they spend at least one-third of the money for their parents. They should also pay tax. Then, they keep some money but they cannot live in comfort. On the other hand, there are two solutions to this problem. The government should receive daily installment payments for old people and for the care of old people. Another solution is that when people are young people, they should save money or something for their golden years. This way can reduce the burden of young people as well as the burden of the government for the increase of aging society. Therefore, the government should consider whether these would be worthwhile for old people.

In conclusion, like this, Canada’s aging society grows quickly because of the low birth rate and high average length of life. According to Ljunggren (2007), “The life expectancy of Canadians is 82.5 years for women and 77.7 years for men” (para. 13). There are many disadvantages, more than advantages, in the increase of old people. The more old people increase, the sooner Canadian society will come to a crisis economically, and the worse it will be. We can know how many old people increase in Canada. From 1961 to 2005, Canada’s age structure has undergone a lot of change. The percentages of young people who are under 18 years old show 38.90 percent in 1961. In addition, the percentages of old people who are over 64 years old show 7.60 percent in 1961. However, the percentages of young people who are under 18 years old show 21.60 percent in 2005. The percentages of the old people who are over 64 years old show 13.10 percent in 2005 (Age Structure of Population, 2006). This means that old people will increase in the future, whereas the birth rate will decrease in the future. As a result, the Canadian government will need intensive preparation for old people in the future, because Canada is becoming an aging society. There are some ways like good medical benefits for old people, welfare facilities for old people, and regular occupations for old people. Therefore, if the Canadian government considers these, Canada will have no problem from an aging society.

References

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Vassallo, M. (2000). Challenges of an Ageing Society Canada. Maltamigration Web site. Retrieved July 24, 2007, from http://www.maltamigration.com/about/foma/convention2000/full/topic3e.shtml