Parker Health

Parker is a non-for-profit, New Jersey-based aging services organization with over 100 years’ experience that is committed to empowering older Americans. We are a diverse community of over 1,000 dedicated and passionate employees, caregivers, volunteers, thought leaders, researchers, educators, and partners. Our award-winning standards and approaches have made us a pioneer of inclusive aging services and long-term care residences, and a national thought leader on the conversation around aging in America. Founded by Henrietta Parker, since 1907 Parker has been challenging, changing, and expanding the idea of what it means to grow older in America and how all of us can make aging part of life.

Parker Health sponsored the Global Ageing Network virtual roundtable on October 29, 2020.

Standards Wise International

Standards Wise International is a consortium of world class experts based in the UK and other countries around the world with proven experience in undertaking projects in Senior Living and Human Services. We are a Team of experts focused on a customer driven ideology and helping organisations to move from ‘good’ to ‘high functioning’ through re-framing their approach.

Standards Wise sponsored a COVID-19 environmental scan. The report will be released in December 2020.

Hinounou

HiNounou helps Seniors to live Longer Healthier and Happier at home and give Peace of mind to their children who live far away from them. After a combined 12-years of R&D in US, Canada, France and China, HiNounou launched the first AI preventative home seniorcare and chronic care monitoring dedicated to the 250 million seniors in China, in partnership with AXA, PingAn and BAYER. The comprehensive home wellness solution includes:
– A genomic testing to evaluate the top 12 chronic disease risks predisposition, a set of Mobile medical connected devices to monitor at home the vital signs with HiNounou APP and Caregiver APP
– A 24/7 telemedicine consultation assistance and accident and death insurance provided by PingAn, dedicated to seniors up to 100 years old without underwriting
– A cloud Data Platform and a Loyalty and Rewards gamification Program 

Hinounou joined as a Global Ageing Network business affiliate in November 2020. 

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On October 29, 2020, global leaders in aged care participated in a virtual roundtable to investigate the future in a post-COVID world and discussed opportunities for improvement and innovation in the aged care sector. 

The opportunities that have emerged as a result of the global pandemic range from changes in government policies to care practices to resetting our priorities. It was suggested that we are approaching a moment where countries are recognizing that the way we care for older people is wholly inadequate. Governments have not prioritized or, in some cases, even supported, their older adults. In some countries, for example, there is no system of long-term care; it is all family care and the role that families play is largely underappreciated.  This is our opportunity for a collective and global response but first we need a vision for what aged care should look like, recognizing the essential roles of governments, the care sector and families. 

This is also our opportunity to reframe aging. Older people are not monolithic and yet, during this pandemic, they have universally been characterized as frail and vulnerable. As such, the value that this demographic brings to societies is overlooked and ageism continues to be insidious. It is our responsibility to change the narrative not only about older adults but about the care sector. It is a sector that plays an essential role and yet, it remains a stepchild to the acute care system.

COVID 19 has underscored the importance of investing in our workforce. These essential workers deserve better pay and adequate training. They should be valued for the important work they do. In most developed countries we will face a substantial labor shortage that will demand a concerted effort to attract more people to jobs in our field as well as a cooperative model between staff and families. We need to convince people that jobs in our field are valued and valuable. And, we need to determine how technology can leverage the talent resources we have.

There has been an eruption of innovation that has flown under the radar. Disasters force organizations to experiment, take risks and mobilize quickly in ways they wouldn’t under normal circumstances. How do we capture that innovation and carry it into the future?  We need to not only continue to innovate but take our ideas and solutions to governments to shape public policy.

Given the role that technology has played during the pandemic in the growth of telehealth and remote monitoring as well as in fostering social connectedness, digital literacy has become an essential tool. This is as true for older adults as it is for the workforce that supports them. We have learned, for example, that loneliness is the silent killer. Technology can mitigate loneliness for some so it is incumbent on us to invest in digital literacy.   But we can’t take full advantage of technology without universal high speed internet.

Managing through COVID 19 continues to be an enormous challenge for those who care for and support older adults. As we face a 2nd or 3rd wave, we may be better prepared than we were with the first wave as we have a better idea what to expect and how to respond. Yet, in many countries, we are sorely lacking the government support that is needed and are largely on our own as a sector. This is a time to pull together, learn from one another and step up our innovation as we shape a vision for the future.

Thank you to all of our participants.

Philomena Anyanwu
El-Aged Care, Ltd.
Nigeria

Marc Codron
JCD ESHEL
Israel 

Andrew Kavala
MANEPO
Malawi

Stuart Kaplan
Selfhelp
United States 

Aad Koster
European Ageing Network (EAN)
The Netherlands 

Dan Levitt
Tabor Village
Canada

Donald Macaskill
Scottish Care Forum
Scotland 

Joseph Musgrave
Home & Community Care Ireland (HCCI)
Ireland

Sara Moustafa
American University in Cairo
Egypt 

Roberto Muniz
Parker Health
United States 

Gregor Rae
BusinessLab
United Kingdom

Rosy Pereyra
International Longevity Centre
Dominican Republic 

Richard Schutt
Providence Life
United States 

Katie Smith Sloan
LeadingAge/Global Ageing Network
United States 

Margie Van Zyl Chapman
South Africa Care Forum
South Africa 

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A New Deal is urgently needed to restore the public faith in long term care while at the same
time creating a sense of hope for older adults to embrace elderhood.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a spotlight on the state of aged care: the living and working
conditions, infection control practices, inconsistent front line staff employment arrangements, a
need to restore public confidence in the elder care system.

The result of this attention has been some promising news has coming out of the civic seniors
care discourse across Canada.

In BC, a central theme of the provincial election campaign has focused on a better life for
seniors. The three major political party’s platforms promise to deliver improved care for older
adults.

On one side of the political spectrum the NDP promise 7,000 new health care workers with
levelled up standard wages, benefits and improved working conditions along with $1.4 billion
over 10 years to build care homes that replace multi-bed rooms. Improved home care enhancing
independence to enable aging in place and a silver alert system to help locate missing seniors
with dementia and Alzheimers.

On the other side of the political spectrum, the Liberal’s commitments include: $1 billion over 5
years to build long term care beds with private rooms and improved quality of care by addressing
worker shortages. Tax credits, home renovation programs and home care for seniors to age
safely in the comfort of their own home.

The Green Party, like the NDP pledge to end the public funding of for profit care. The Green
plan calls for a mix model of public, non for profit, community based services and co-ops.
Establishing a professional designation for seniors care workers. Establishing more
independence and expanded mandate for the Office of the Seniors Advocate and focusing more
on seniors care beyond just adequate medical care.

A bright note is the Liberals guarantee to eliminating ageism and unconscious bias across
government, to ensure all service are free of discrimination against seniors. As well as treating
senior drivers fairly by covering the cost of exams required every two years after the age of 80.

The provincial political party plans fall short of addressing the need to add net new long term
care and assisted living beds to meet the needs of an aging population. According to the
2017, Sizing Up the Challenge: Meeting the Demand for Long-Term Care in Canada, published
by the Conference Board of Canada, by 2035 an additional 199,000 long term care beds, nearly
double the 255,000 beds available in 2016, are needed unless changes to how health care for
seniors is delivered. The portion of new beds in BC is more than 20,000. The current cost of
construction of bed replacements for the outdated bed stock would hardly make a dent into the
pressures on the seniors care system. Billions more in capital spending is needed in the next 15
years to provide the same level of service to seniors as the population of eligible older persons over 75 and 85 increases.

Further annual operational funds will be needed to fund the day to day
costs of the new care homes. Creating new long term care and assisted living options for seniors,
would reduce pressure on acute care beds primarily Alternate Levels of Care (ALC) (people who
require long-term care but who are living in an acute care bed in a hospital because space is not
available at a long-term care facility). The waitlist in the community would decrease and help
reduce the pressure on family caregivers who too often live through a critical incident before
being eligible before moving into long term care.

The pandemic has brought to light shortcomings that hit close to home: institutional style meal
service, rationing of baths, reliance on medication interventions, personal care that focuses on the
medical and clinical and less direct care staff with dedicated time for quality of life.
We as a Canadians, need to strengthen aged care to ensure high quality programs and safe
services. With complex care and social needs, older adults who can no longer live independently
are a vulnerable population with diminished ability to advocate for themselves. We must be their
voice.We as Canadians covet our rights and freedoms. We must find ways to ensure these human
rights are extended to all Canadians. That no matter what your age or abilities, living in your
community as long as you are able, is your choice.

A fundamental rethink of eldercare is needed. Political promises appear to be fragmented without a comprehensive approach to a supporting older adults. What is needed, a coordinated integrated delivery system with the following components: new capital infrastructure investments with innovative living models; investment in the aged care workforce; person-centred aged care services with greater choice,
control and independence; palliative care and hospice care for seniors; respite and social support
to engage family caregivers; increased use of technology such as digital health; dementia and age
friendly cities; and supportive home care.

If the COVID-19 crisis has not been a rallying cry that reaches every ear, what would it take to
transform societal attitudes on the care of older adults? Elderhood is the anthem. The pandemic
is the sign. Do you hear the people sing?

When you are an elder, you deserve nothing less.

By Dan Levitt

Dan Levitt is executive director of Abbotsford’s Tabor Village elder care community, an
adjunct professor of gerontology at SFU, adjunct professor of nursing at UBC and a sessional
instructor at BCIT.

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Oct. 1 marked the 30th anniversary celebration of International Older Persons Day (IDOP). The focus of this year’s IDOP was on how pandemics address aging and change our approach to aging. With the emergence of COVID-19, the lives of older adults have been put on the lines illustrating the need for greater support for older adults. A webinar hosted by the International Federation on Aging with the assistance of AARP discussed the topic of this year’s IDOP. 

Global Ageing Network members and peak associations honored IDOP in different ways. Home and Community Care Ireland hosted a virtual conference on pandemic and aging featuring several panelists. AgeWatch Africa worked to raise awareness through their virtual platforms and start conversations on ageism.

 

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On September 15, Global Ageing Network, Heritage Foundation and BDU Heritage Center for Gerontology will co-host a webinar focused on human resources capacity building during COVID-19. Three panelists will provide their input based on their roles at their organization and their countries.

Rich Schutt from Providence Life Services will moderate the webinar. Schutt has the responsibility for overseeing operations, finance, marketing, development, and administrative divisions of Providence Life Services. Schutt was a past Board of Directors Chair of the national association, LeadingAge, formerly known as AAHSA.

Jiri Horecky will be a panelist for the webinar. Horecky is the president of the European Ageing Network (EAN), president of the Association of Social Services Providers of the Czech Republic, and vice-president of the Federation of European Social Employers.

Stephen Corneillesen will be another panelist for the webinar. Corneillesen is an experienced health care executive who has worked in a range of roles in hospitals, aged care, community organisations and central bureaucracy in both metropolitan and rural settings in Australia and New Zealand.

Veronique Boscart will also be a panelist for the webinar. Boscart has extensive nursing experience including working as a clinician, educator, manager and researcher in an international setting.

The webinar will take place from 8-9am. Please contact sdavis@globalageing.org for the Zoom link and passcode for the webinar.

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