(Calgary) Azim Jeraj canceled his gym membership earlier this year.
Posted at 5:00 a.m.
The 69-year-old resident of Sherwood Park, Alta., says he could no longer justify the monthly fees in the face of the rising cost of groceries, utilities and prescription drugs.
“I joined a group of senior cyclists instead. I cycle with them twice a week, and it costs nothing, says Mr. Jeraj. You find things like that to do. You are constantly looking for things that are not very expensive. »
Like every other age group right now, Canadian seniors are being forced to make tough choices as they cut out frills and extras in the face of the highest inflation rates in nearly 40 years.
However, the elderly also face a unique challenge that is less talked about: the increased social isolation that experts say often occurs due to high inflation.
According to Statistics Canada, 27.9% of Canadian seniors in 2017-2018 lived alone, compared to 14% of the general population.
Doctors know that maintaining relationships and social activity plays an important role in the mental and physical health of this age group. Social isolation in older adults has been linked to increased emotional distress, prevalence of depression, increased falls, use of health and support services, and even premature death.
Getting around costs money, even if it’s just meeting friends for coffee, driving to a church service, or taking the bus to a fitness class.
“People don’t think social isolation is linked to inflationary costs. We immediately think that people will not be able to buy food, housing, take their medicine, ”says Laura Tamblyn Watts, president and CEO of CanAge, a national organization for the defense of seniors. “But you have to be connected somehow, and there are connection costs. »
Prices go up, but not incomes
Many Canadian seniors live on fixed pensions or rely on government benefits like the Canada Pension Plan which, with its annual adjustment in January for inflation, has not caught up with recent skyrocketing increases in the cost of living. .
Seniors are also worried about their investment portfolios as inflation weighs on the stock market. For those who have relied on their home equity to support their retirement, rising interest rates and their effect on the housing market are a real concern.
“A lot of seniors that we see are in this crisis. Their investments or their pensions haven’t gone up, their government benefits might go up, but right now they’re waiting in limbo, and the prices of everything have gone up,” said Larry Mathieson, chief executive of the Kerby Centre, an organization non-profit that provides programs and services to seniors in Calgary and Medicine Hat. “It’s a huge problem. »
Social isolation is part of the ‘top-down effect of inflation,’ says Ms.me Tamblyn Watts. If seniors cannot afford to access the internet, they cannot connect with their families through Zoom Where FaceTime. If they cannot afford hearing aids or glasses, they have less ability to interact with the world. And if younger generations are busy working overtime, they are less likely to be able to watch over their mother and father.
“There will be more people living alone at home, without support and isolated,” adds Ms.me Tamblyn Watts.
PHOTO JASON FRANSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Azim Jeraj at his home in Sherwood Park, Alberta
For his part, Mr. Jeraj considers himself lucky. He’s married, he still drives, and he and his wife have made a conscious effort to stay active and connected through inexpensive activities like taking long walks and entertaining friends at home.
He knows, however, that many of his peers are not so lucky.
“I have parents who live alone, and the cost for them is a big issue. Even mobility, because they cannot drive because of their age and their state of health”, laments Mr. Jeraj.
“Social isolation is a very big thing. It affects them mentally,” he concludes.