Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the opportunity to address this important and timely issue.
As noted by the International Federation on Ageing, the number one emerging issue facing seniors in Canada is keeping older people socially connected and active. An estimated 30% of Canadian seniors are at risk of becoming socially isolated. Seniors First BC is a non-profit agency serving the people of British Columbia. We work to prevent elder abuse, to provide assistance and support to older adults who are or may be abused, and to those whose rights have been violated. Our programs include an information referral support phone line, a victims services program, free legal advice and representation, and public education outreach programs. Our staff are from various professional fields, allowing us to offer a mix of supports, with expertise about elder abuse issues from a unique, holistic, and multidisciplinary perspective.
Social isolation is a recurring issue in our work. Elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of seniors can result from or be exacerbated by the social isolation of the older adult. The likelihood that an older adult will not accept help, and whether that help is easily available, is also in part determined by how socially connected that older adult is. There has been much research and reporting on the dramatic ways that these forms of elder mistreatment can affect the health, safety, and quality of life of older adults. We do not intend to review this material. We understand this committee wants to look at advancing inclusion of seniors, keeping them socially connected and active. This requires an active action plan or strategic plan. We agree with the brief from the Coalition for Healthy Aging in Manitoba in supporting the use of the framework from the global strategy and action plan on aging and health of the World Health Organization.
Strategic plans require an aspirational vision. We want to suggest a vision for how inclusion may play out for one of our socially isolated clients. We will call him Dave. We have chosen an example of a very isolated rural senior. We recommend the brief from our sister organization S.U.C.C.E.S.S. regarding a culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate way to advance inclusion for diverse urban populations.
While Dave's situation is perhaps extreme, we believe choosing an extreme example can be informative and the solutions may have broader application. Dave's living situation displays many of the risk factors associated with social isolation. He lives alone in a semi-remote cabin. He's 80 years of age, has multiple chronic health problems, no children, little contact with other family members, recently lost his spouse, recently lost his driver's licence, lacks access to transportation, is of low income and low education. Dave is socially isolated, potentially exposed to exploitation, vulnerable to financial abuse, to frauds and scams, to self-neglect, but let's look at what Dave's situation might be five years hence.
Dave is awakened by his alarm and the smell of coffee brewing. After a few sips, he speaks to Connie. Connie is his personal digital assistant developed by the connecting Canadians program and the private sector. Connie functions as Dave's connection to the outside world through a free broadband connection and a hands-free interactive speaker hardware provided to low-income seniors by connecting Canadians. Connie is more than just a hands-free browser, search engine, and scheduler. Connie provides specific curated information from the community and the Internet for Dave and functions as an e-health adviser, and through Dave's Fitbit bracelet, monitors Dave's health with connections to a community nurse practitioner, occupational therapist, and pharmacist.
While interacting with Dave, Connie is monitoring his cognitive functioning. Connie monitors his browsing, warns Dave about potential phishing and online frauds and scams. Connie monitors his finances, warns about shortfalls or questionable transactions, simultaneously warning his attorney. Connie learns what Dave likes, recommends activities based on its learning, and interacts with “body language” and subtle expressions to simulate emotion.
Dave has made informed decisions about these various ways Connie is monitoring his life and has, to his surprise, developed a bond with Connie. As it is Monday, Connie goes through the coming week with Dave while he eats his breakfast. The self-driving community bus, a school bus used between school hours, will be coming by today to take seniors to the seniors centre for various programs.
The Government of Canada developed these self-driving buses in a public-private consortium with Bombardier and BlackBerry. Canada is now a world leader in the development of these buses. They display public service announcements on the side, in this case the federal government’s latest anti-ageism campaign.
The Canadian government and the provinces also subsidize self-driving cars and “taxi-bots” for low-income seniors who have lost their licences and have traded in their cars, and for those who have a disability that's preventing them from driving.
Tomorrow the medical home self-driving bus will come by for Dave’s monthly checkup. On board is a nurse practitioner, occupational therapist, pharmacist, dentist, and dental hygienist. A doctor is available by teleconference. Dave will get his prescription refills. Connie will be advised to set up an appointment with a heart specialist in town and schedule a taxi-bot so that Dave can attend the appointment. Tuesday afternoon a Better at Home volunteer, accompanied by the self-driving firewood supply and splitter truck, will come out to help Dave split and stack cords of wood. Wednesday the social club on wheels comes by. Friday the grocery bus comes by.
After this, Connie leads Dave through his calisthenics and reminds him of an upcoming online meeting of his circle of support to help him make a supported decision about a request by his nephew for a loan. Connie talks about other possible events to consider attending in town—a widower peer support meeting, a lunch gathering of the blues society, a community kitchen event—and about an incoming call from his neighbour Doug about travelling to the seniors centre together.
That's our presentation. Thank you, Mr. Chair.