Better Care for Our Aging Population Is a Collective Responsibility but How Do We Actually Make Meaningful Change?

Today a group of cross-sectoral leaders, including hospital, long term care, home care, primary care and mental health came together at a Longwoods Publishing Leadership Breakfast to talk about how we must dramatically change our approach to collectively supporting and planning for the needs of older adults. This multisectoral collaborative has been working together to plan, coordinate and collaborate but, most importantly, to identify practical approaches to influencing and making the significant changes we believe are necessary to support older adults today and in the coming years.  It’s no small task.

We are all aware of the complexities and challenges before us and that we’re on an uphill climb in the face of changing demographics and increasing prevalence of disease in our population. So, what do we do?  Our group is focused on short-, mid-, and long-term solutions that can be implemented:

• now without financial requirements (e.g. much higher degrees of collaboration and applying known evidence-based practices across our networks)
• soon with financial investment to enable the widespread implementation of proven solutions that will address both current and future trends (e.g. bring successful pilots to scale and eliminate barriers that impede implementation of solutions across systems)
• later through a combination of new policy and funding infrastructures that ensure we are planning for the needs of older adults as whole people who hope and expect to be able to age well at home and in their communities

But how do we do this? In our time together, we talked about innovative solutions, that have been proven extensively but often don't get scaled. There is a huge appetite for more innovation, particularly through the use of technology and AI, as well as public/private partnerships. There were also reminders about simple, time-tested approaches such as engaging individuals with lived experience, and leveraging existing infrastructure to flag those at highest risk and deliver the supports they need. We also discussed how, despite all the talk about funding, systems and technology, at the heart of the matter we are talking about people. First and foremost, we must remember our humanity and that if we forget to address loneliness, we abandon our elders at a time when they need connection the most. 

So, as we chart a new course together – and we must – I would like to propose that we stay in the sweet spot of the intersection of innovation, simplicity and humanity. Can we be bold enough to build our systems, structures and collaborations around a shared set of priorities that shakes us out of our complacency? Can we challenge ourselves to make plans for tomorrow, and well beyond, that will enable health and social care systems that work not only for older adults but for all of us? There is great urgency to do so and no time to waste.

Donna Duncan Kelly Kay Melissa Prokopy Camille Quenneville Deborah Simon Deepy Sur, MSW, PhD, RSW Sue VanderBent, BA, BSW, MSW, MHSc, CHE Lisa Levin Matt Hart Zayna Khayat, Ph.D.