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HEALTH: Ageing population the focus of demographic planning
        (AlbertaIndex, June 6, Friday) --- The Alberta government has established a Demographic Planning Commission to prepare the province to deal with issues and needs related to an ageing population.
        The commission will develop an Ageing Population Policy Framework that will guide government decisions in the years ahead on seniors’ programs and policies.

Commission members with expertise in a variety of fields, including aging issues, health care, economics and social science, will begin meeting in the coming weeks. The commission will hold meetings with key stakeholders.

This summer, Albertans will be invited to share their ideas through an online survey on how future government programs, services and supports for seniors should be considered for an ageing population.

The commission is chaired by George VanderBurg, who is also the chair of the Seniors Advisory Council for Alberta and MLA for Whitecourt-Ste. Anne.

The other members are Dr David Hogan (Head, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Calgary), Dr Daniel Lai (Professor, Department of Social Work, University of Calgary), Dr Herb Northcott (Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Alberta), Martha Parker (Past Co-Chair, Alberta Non-Profit/Voluntary Sector Initiative), Dr Mike Percy (Dean, School of Business, University of Alberta), Donna Lynn Smith (Past President, Alberta Association on Gerontology) and Don Szarko (Manager, Advocacy and Community Services, Alberta Motor Association).

“Alberta’s population, like that of the rest of Canada and the developed world, is ageing,” said Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports.

“The Demographic Planning Commission will work with Albertans and experts to look at the shared roles of governments, communities, families and individuals in meeting the needs of future seniors, as well as the principles and values underlying these roles. Albertans will also be asked how public programs, services and supports for seniors should be allocated and sustained over the long-term.”

“We expect that the needs of future seniors, especially the large population of baby boomers, may be very different from current seniors,” said VanderBurg. “As a commission, our work includes finding out what the needs of today’s middle-aged and younger Albertans may be when they become seniors, and looking at how these needs can be met over the long run.”

The commission is expected to prepare a report of their findings by fall 2008. This report, along with research and analysis, will provide a foundation for the development of an Aging Population Framework.

Alberta has about 373,000 seniors who are 65 and older. The number of seniors is expected to increase by more than 40 per cent to about 555,000 in 10 year’s time, and to more than double today’s number in less than 20 years.


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