Older people in Saskatoon felt 'lack of compassion' as the COVID-19 death toll mounted for seniors: survey
A new report finds that older residents in Saskatoon felt isolated and less respected during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report, Beyond the Pandemic, is based on surveys and focus groups held by the Saskatoon Council on Aging.
"On average, older adults' health decline, and they felt less safe, less connected, less respected, and less like they belong," the report said.
Over half of those surveyed said they felt the death of a younger individual was taken more seriously than that of an older individual, according to the report.
"We heard from older adults that they felt that ageist perceptions were perpetuated and were more overt in our society. These ageist perceptions included the lack of compassion for the deaths of elderly people caused by COVID-19," the report authors said.
Another issue identified in the report was the divisiveness in society since the onset of the pandemic.
"Every focus group commented that their relationships were negatively impacted by the politicization of the pandemic."
Jane McPhee, one of the authors and a volunteer with the council, said older residents have a clear vision of their healing role.
"They really feel they have a role in healing some of the rifts that developed during the pandemic," she told CTV News. "Many of them felt very isolated. Family members and friends had differing opinions about things that happened and they really felt that they could contribute to making that better."
Older residents also said they missed their volunteer activities and as caregivers and grandparents for their families.
"They really felt like the ways that they were able to contribute to the community were really curtailed during the public health measures and the lockdown," McPhee said.
One common complaint was that respondents felt they were not given enough information.
“They felt that they were asked to make decisions about their own safety in terms of going out, but without adequate information,” McPhee said. She said the survey was conducted just as the province began phasing out public health measures.
"They felt like they were being asked to make decisions about their risks without having the information to do so."
McPhee said the council is hoping to make some recommendations to boards and the province's minister for seniors.
"Some things that we think might be helpful in terms of moving forward and some things that we might be able to do to involve older adults in the solutions,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.