Seniors in N.L. doing 'poorly' compared to rest of Canada, says seniors' advocate in new report
People over 65 now make up nearly a quarter of N.L.'s population
Newfoundland and Labrador's seniors' advocate is sounding the alarm with a new report that says the well-being of seniors in the province falls behind national averages in areas like health, finances and overall safety.
"My main take away, really, was just how poorly that seniors are doing in Newfoundland and Labrador," Susan Walsh told reporters Tuesday morning. "We now have the data that clearly supports … that in every situation seniors were falling behind the rest of the country."
The 68-page report outlines senior well-being through six categories: physical and mental health, health care, finances, housing, transportation and safety.
Walsh said people over the age of 65 now make up nearly a quarter of Newfoundland and Labrador's population, an increase of over 20 per cent since 2019.
Seniors generally perceive their physical and mental health to be at or above national averages, she said, but data connected to the social determinants of health could paint a different picture.
For example, the report says only 14 per cent of seniors in the province eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, compared to 26 per cent nationally.
Newfoundland and Labrador seniors also lag in statistics around their diet and exercise, Walsh said, and are eight percentage points behind the rest of Canada in having access to a regular health-care provider.
"They are continuing to struggle in many of the social determinants of health. They are lagging their Canadian counterparts. They are not receiving the level of care and respect they deserve," Walsh said.
There are other concerning figures that show themselves in health-care statistics, she said.
The percentage of completed hip and knee replacement surgeries that meet national benchmarks is well below the national average.
Newfoundland and Labrador is also more than double the national average in its usage of restraints and the potentially inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs in care — with the highest usage in the Labrador-Grenfell health zone.
"Often times, that's tied to [limits] or challenges around resources on units," Walsh said. "What was most concerning to me inside of that was the difference regionally, and I think we need to get inside of that and determine why."
The report also shines a light on the finances seniors rely on.
Walsh said seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador have the lowest median income in Canada at just $27,800. Seniors in the province also avail of Canada's Guaranteed Income Supplement more than anywhere else in the country, she said.
"To put that into perspective, more than half of the seniors in this province have an income that is less than a full-time salary on minimum wage, which is approximately $32,000," she said. "The percentage of seniors in Newfoundland and Labrador receiving [GIS] is concerning, as it certainly can be considered an indicator of poverty."
Lastly, Walsh said crimes against seniors have increased dramatically since 2019. The report found the number of criminal violations involving a senior victim rose from 332 in 2019 to 580 in 2023 — a 72 per cent increase.
She hopes the report can become an annually released document to determine if the well-being of seniors is improving, noting this report was completed with one-time funding.
The report has been delivered to each of Newfoundland and Labrador's MHAs, she said, and hopes to continue advocacy soon.
"That's the next step, now. Really analyzing it and determining where do we intervene."
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With files from Keira Mahoney
