We all notice that the demographic portrait of the Quebec population is changing rapidly. According to the 2022 report from the Institut de la statistique du Québec, people aged 65 and over currently represent 20.8% of the population. They accounted for 6.8% of it in 1971 and will constitute 25% in 2031.
Population aging is far from a new or unpredictable phenomenon. Unfortunately, in public discourse, the tendency is to consider aging as a fatality and a burden, focusing almost exclusively on its economic impact and its incidence on the costs of the healthcare system and health services.
An inclusive vision and discourse
What if we instead focus on the contribution of seniors to the vitality of our communities, the vitality of our community sector, our social cohesion, and even economic development and the strength of a qualified and experienced workforce? ? In other words, consider aging as an asset to be preserved and brought to fruition.
Aging is a biological process that is irreversible for the time being and it is obvious that an aging population will have to make greater use of health care and services if we do not act upstream.
However, multidisciplinary and intersectoral research has clearly shown that various determinants, such as lifestyle habits, the psychosocial ecosystem and the socioeconomic environment, can positively and significantly influence the health capital of seniors.
It is therefore becoming urgent to create conditions allowing as many Quebecers as possible to age in good health until an advanced age.
Moreover, if we wish to sustain our health system, we must innovate in prevention and early detection. It is also necessary to identify the negative interactions between different risk factors that lead to isolation and social exclusion, cognitive decline, and loss of mobility and autonomy.
Make healthy aging a top societal priority
Researchers and student members of the Quebec Network for Research on Aging often report that the most cherished wish expressed by seniors is: “I want to keep my head and my legs so I can stay at home. The United Nations has also declared the current decade to be the decade of “Healthy Aging”, initiating a global dialogue on this challenge.
The recent pandemic has provided a showcase for public health experts and researchers to democratize access to science and knowledge and to draw attention to the living conditions of seniors.
The time has now come to capitalize on this favorable situation to raise public awareness of the importance of taking an interest in healthy aging and to recognize that aging must be an asset for Quebec society.
The time has also come to develop a common vision in this direction, involving the government, community, medical and public health circles, as well as researchers working in the field of aging (from the cell to society), in order to provide Quebec with a bold action plan.
This is also what the Minister for Health and responsible for Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, is working hard on, who is currently conducting consultations as part of the development of the next government action plan “Aging and living together”. .
The Minister has the support of the health community and the close collaboration of aging researchers, but the commitment of the entire government apparatus and the support of the population must be acquired.
* Co-signatories: Krista Lynn Best, Frédéric Calon, Rubens Da Silva, Gilles Gouspillou, Sébastien Grenier, Edeltraut Kröger, Frédéric Picard, Valérie Poulin, Nancy Presse, Véronique Provencher and Marie-Josée Sirois