Aging

Low-income seniors losing out on government pensions

Many low-income seniors are standing on the edge of a financial precipice. As family physicians and health promoters at St. Michael’s Family Health Team, we do everything we can to support our patients through these challenges. But for every person we help, thousands of others fall through the cracks with no one to catch them.

The illusion of choice in Ontario’s long-term care system

We cannot build a humane health-care system by forcing families to choose between unaffordable charges and unsafe or unsuitable care. That is not choice. That is pressure disguised as policy.

How a family physicians’ community of practice is reshaping dementia care

As dementia prevalence continues to rise across Ontario, the need for consistent, fair, and patient-centred approaches will only grow.

Developing a new model – professional arts intersecting with gerontology

The narrative around aging has been focused almost entirely on “decline management." But a compelling shift is happening as we recognize that the later chapters of life are not just about preservation, but about creative expansion.

Blood tests for Alzheimer’s are here – but Canada isn’t ready

Blood‑based biomarkers offer a real opportunity to improve dementia care – but only if we redesign our systems to use them wisely.

Expanding dementia prevention and care beyond randomized control trials

In dementia care relying only on randomized controlled trials can leave out a large amount of strong research that reflects real-world complexity.

Too frail but not yet palliative: Ontario’s opportunity to lead in home care for older adults

If Ontario wants to help more people age at home, it should apply lessons from home palliative care to frailty right now. It needs to stop treating frailty as an administrative afterthought, and act on what it already knows works.

Assisted dying is changing medicine more than we realize

If Canada continues expanding assisted dying, it must answer hard questions. Are we expanding access to death faster than access to care? Are we ending lives prematurely when people could have flourished with adequate suicide prevention and support?

The paradox of progress: How medical advancements are expanding the time we spend unwell

Humanity is living longer, yet a growing portion of that extended life is spent in poor health. What if the same forces that prolong life, namely technology and industrialization, are also increasing the percentage of our lives spent unwell?

Cognitive Stimulation Therapy: A human-centred, cost-effective approach to dementia care

Health systems across Canada need to devote more time and resources to implementing non-pharmacological programs such as CST to provide comprehensive dementia care in an equitable way.

Kevin’s story: My journey with my brother, dementia and Down Syndrome

Across the country, we talk about dementia more than we used to, but too often, conversations remain fragmented - and people with disabilities are rarely at the centre of planning.

Vulnerable seniors belong in care, not jail

Accused seniors with cognitive impairments are all too often punished for conditions beyond their control because the justice system lacks safe places to shelter them.

‘Things went horribly wrong’: Patient advocates spreading the word about dangers of Botox

Much of the conversation about Botox centres on whether it looks good or bad, or if getting it can be considered a “feminist” choice. Less attention has been given to the fact that research indicates that one in six patients who are injected with Botox experiences adverse effects from the procedure.

From Miami to Mississauga: The Golden Girls and Ontario’s $1.1B homecare plan

Whether in the fictional world of The Golden Girls or the real-life province of Ontario, the tension between independence and formal care is real.

Caregiver calls for action to tackle cancer’s financial toxicity

Everyone agrees lack of money shouldn’t be a barrier to life-saving cancer care. But when cancer metastasizes to bank accounts it can reduce the odds of survival.

The forgotten patients of brain health: Why Functional Neurological Disorder needs a clinical home

Patients with FND are not puzzles to be passed around. They are Ontarians living with genuine and debilitating symptoms; many of whom have been ignored, invalidated and left to navigate recovery alone.

Doing right by the law, and doing right by our patients: The ‘means available to relieve suffering’ safeguards in MAiD

Canadians deserve access to robust and timely responses to their MAiD inquiries. Most important among these are conversations and supports intended to relieve suffering, that may ease or address the person’s desire to die.

How to support safe driving decisions for individuals with dementia

Assessing driving fitness in dementia patients is one of the most challenging aspects of care, requiring a delicate balance of medical, emotional, ethical and practical considerations.

Want to know where we are with cancer care? Don’t ask Ontario

A provincial election and talk of tariffs have taken up much of Ontario’s attention recently but we shouldn’t lose sight of that other problem: health care.

Empowering choices: The importance of advance care planning

Advance care planning empowers individuals to have their health-care preferences honoured, offering peace of mind to both themselves and their loved ones. Yet, despite the importance of these conversations, many people delay or avoid them altogether.