You have said that no group in society has been more profoundly neglected for an extended period of time than our elders. Please describe the current state of affairs.
We live in an aging society, and yet it’s a society that doesn’t respect its elders. In Canada, we tend to value economic contributions above all else, so once you retire, you are viewed as a cost to the system. It’s almost like you’re disposable, and that is evident in the way we treat people who get really sick: We institutionalize them — hiding them away, out of sight and out of mind. There is profound ageism ingrained in both our social policies and our attitudes.
In its pre-pandemic report, the Public Inquiry Into the Safety and Security of Residents in Long-Term Care Homes pointed to “systemic vulnerabilities” as the root of failings in this sector. How would you summarize these vulnerabilities?
I mentioned the widespread marginalization of older people, and nowhere is that more obvious than in long-term care. About 400,000 older Canadians live in these have are poorly paid, so turnover is high. There is poor infrastructure, too. Lots of these homes are old and poorly designed, so people often live in rooms with three or four beds, in almost prison-like conditions.