PILLAR TWO
Ensuring Older Canadians can Lead Healthy Lives for as Long as Possible
Important advances in public health and health care over the last few decades mean that most Canadians are now living longer and with fewer health problems than ever before. In the future, more education and support for Canadians to participate in activities that promote wellness, prevention, and overall healthy ageing will allow more older Canadians to age in good health and stay independent in their communities for as long as possible.
The federal government and the Public Health Agency of Canada can work with Canada’s provinces, territories and municipalities to enable this pillar and associated activities in a variety of ways:
Ensuring Canadians are Supported to Engage in Wellness and Prevention Activities that Enable Healthy Ageing
Ensuring Canadians understand the importance of activities that support healthy ageing and prevention of age-related diseases and are empowered and supported to regularly exercise, develop strategies for falls prevention, and receive recommended immunizations will enable healthy ageing. Read more on this opportunity in Evidence Brief #6.
Improving Access to Medically Necessary and Appropriate Medications and Vaccines
Ensuring that all Canadians have access to medically necessary and appropriate medications and vaccines for the management of acute and chronic diseases will allow Canadians to live healthier and longer lives in their communities. Read more on this opportunity in Evidence Brief #7.
Ensuring Older Canadians and Their Caregivers are Enabled to Participate in Informed Health Decision-Making & Advance Care Planning
Ensuring Canadians have a better understanding of the importance of advance care planning will support a growing number of Canadians to become more engaged in decision-making around their health care and empower them to make more informed decisions. Read more on this opportunity in Evidence Brief #8.