Seven studies, same conclusion: Governments ignoring important seniors issues
   Research indicates issues of aging population are not being adequately
addressed

 TORONTO, November 13, 2002 --  Seniors in seven municipalities across Canada
believe while their quality of life
 is profoundly affected by policies at all levels of government, they have
little input in the policy process, says a synthesis
 report of seven studies that involved hundreds of seniors, seniors service
providers, and municipal staff across Canada.

 These studies took place in Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Regina,
Vancouver, and Whitehorse. "Seniors
 told the researchers that municipal, provincial and federal governments are not
 giving serious consideration to seniors



'
 needs and are not listening to them to find out what they need," said synthesis
 report lead author Toba Bryant of the
 York University Centre for Health Studies. The issues identified as common
across all studies - access to information,
 health care, housing, income security, safety and security, social contacts and
 networks, and transportation - were also
 seen as impacting the quality of life of not just seniors, but all Canadians.
This was also the case for the issues that were
 raised in a majority of localities: ageism of society, having voices heard,
promoting healthy lifestyles, and lack of political
 will by governments to address key issues.

 "Findings in this report show that issues seniors see as important to their
health and well-being are remarkably similar to
 research findings concerning the social determinants of health. The consistency
 between the lived experiences of older
 persons across Canada with traditional research methodologies should direct
policymakers to address these important
 issues," commented Bryant.

 The report, A Nation for All Ages? A Participatory Study of Canadian Seniors'
Quality of Life in Seven
 Municipalities, reflects findings from two years of studies carried out by
networks of seniors, seniors' organizations,
 service providers, and municipal staff in seven municipalities across Canada.

 Bryant says the report's findings indicate that there is a gap between
government rhetoric and recent government actions
 on seniors' issues. "The report concludes that governments are not giving
appropriate attention to issues that address
 the determinants of Canadians' health and well-being in general and older
persons in particular."

 The synthesis report and the seven studies upon which it is based were funded
by the Population Health Fund of Health
 Canada. The full report is available at http://www.yorku.ca/ychs.

                              -30-
 For further information, please contact:

Dr. Toba Bryant                    Dr. Dennis Raphael

York Centre for Health Studies           School of Health Policy and Management

416-736-5941                   416-736-2100, ext. 22134

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