By Martin C. Barry

More than 300 medical and social services professionals concerned about problems related to an aging population in Laval gathered for a one-day conference in Chomedey on June 3 to ask the question ― could the sheer number of seniors lead to a demographic catastrophe, or will it merely be challenge?

15 per cent of Laval population
While the number of people in Laval aged 65 and over was 45,500 according to census figures compiled in 2001, the seniors population is expected to reach 70,400 seven years from now. (Laval’s total population is now about 376,800.) As such, officials with Laval’s public health directorate, the Laval regional health board and CSSS Laval are preparing for what some experts have long been predicting will be a hard impact. “We already know of certain ingredients to encourage active aging, such as the adoption of healthy living habits, a sense of usefulness as is necessary for seniors, and the ability to get around easily with access to transportation or to retail places or services,” said Dr. Nicole Damestoy, director of public health in Laval. “Nonetheless, we must find concrete means to go from knowledge to action.”

Raising awareness

“Through this conference, we want to raise awareness among our participants of the importance of acting with foresight and of adapting our services to the living environment of seniors,” said Luc Lepage, director-general of the region’s main public health and social services provider, CSSS Laval. “We want them to retain their autonomy for the longest time possible.” “Aging presents another challenge that we must and can take up together with great success,” said Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt, who addressed the conferencees in the morning. “Aging has an impact not only on the health system, but also on the services made available to residents. This reality will have important repercussions in Laval since the aged make up nearly 15 per cent of the population and their growing number is faster than the average in Quebec.” He agreed that services increasingly must be oriented to help seniors remain independent and autonomous.

No ‘catastrophe’

Even though the number of seniors is expected to continue growing in Laval as in the rest of Quebec, most are expected to remain in good health even in their advancing years, maintained Damestoy. For that reason, she and other experts agree that an anticipated aging crisis revolving around the “baby boom” generation may not actually turn into the socio-demographic “catastrophe” predicted, although preparation is needed to deal with the effects nonetheless. During a morning presentation, Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, a sociologist and statistician from McGill University, argued that a negative scenario involving aging may never fully occur, because the situation is constantly evolving and intervenors are learning just as they are taking measures to cope with it. She elucidated on a number of “myths” propagated with regards to aging, such as the idea that a demographic “apocalypse” is impending, or that conversely baby boomers will be the most privileged generation of retirees ever.

‘Pig in the python’

She suggested a more pragmatic approach is in order. The “baby boom” has been described variously as a "shockwave" and as a "pig in the python," because of its demographic significance. By the sheer force of their numbers, boomers are often thought of by sociologists as a demographic bulge with the potential to seriously affect society as they pass through ― something with which Quesnel-Vallée did not disagree. She showed a number of graphs to illustrate the point. Another theory, the “age wave,” suggests an economic slowdown when many boomers reach retirement age. However, concerning the notion that aging will end up bankrupting the public health care system, Quesnel-Vallée noted that individual costs do indeed rise with age, although aging of the population overall is only expected to have a limited effect on costs for operating the health care system. She said increased reliance on pharmaceuticals and the development of new cost-effective medical interventions should also help keep the situation in balance.