Thank you, MP Casey and members of the committee.
My name is Alex Mihailidis, and I am the scientific director and CEO of the Age-Well networks of centres of excellence. I am also a professor at the University of Toronto, having specialized in the area of technology to support older adults for the past 20 years. Age-Well is Canada's technology and aging network.
During this pandemic, we have seen older adults and their caregivers stay resilient, like all Canadians, with the help of technology. All of us are wondering what the world will look like post-pandemic. We can say with certainty that technology will play a much larger role in the lives of older adults and caregivers. With the increase in the use of telehealth, it's not an exaggeration to say that technology is going to help transform the care that older Canadians receive. We anticipate this across all settings, hospital, community, home, and long-term care, where the pandemic has resulted in devastating consequences.
Are older adults receptive to technology? The answer is yes. A poll commissioned in July 2020 by Age-Well shows that COVID-19 has significantly increased the use of many technologies among older Canadians. The poll surveyed over 2,000 Canadians age 50-plus, who are representative of our country's provinces and territories, and used a mix of online and telephone surveys.
More than six out of 10 Canadians age 65-plus agree that technological advancements can help to lessen the impact of COVID-19 on their daily lives. The majority agree that technology can help them maintain relationships, reduce social isolation, pursue hobbies, manage all aspects of health, and stay safe, independent and active as they age.
These trends are driving a multi-trillion dollar age tech market internationally, and Canadians are no different. The majority of those age 50-plus, which includes the future generation of seniors, are willing to pay out of pocket for technology that allows them to stay at home as they age.
Many cutting-edge technologies that benefit older adults are in development, and some are on the market. At Age-Well, the backbone of Canada's age tech sector, research teams and start-ups have over 100 technology-based solutions in the pipeline or that are already making a difference in people's lives, including during the pandemic.
What is age tech? It is anything from glasses on your face, to smart home systems to support aging in place, to mobile health apps and platforms designed to enhance safety and quality of life for residents in long-term care.
I want to emphasize that the timeline for implementing such solutions has moved up dramatically because of COVID-19. People want these technologies now. Even after the pandemic passes, these innovations will be needed to enable people to live longer in their own homes and to ease the increasing pressures on the health care system.
Age-Well is actively working with long-term care providers, such as with the City of Toronto and elsewhere, to determine the technology needs and to implement solutions today.
Here are three ways in which we can accelerate the delivery timeline:
First, the Canadian government needs to increase investment in Canada's age tech start-ups, so that products get into people's hands sooner. Canada's gross domestic expenditures on research and development as a percentage of GDP declined almost 16% over the past 10 years, while other OECD countries grew by approximately 10%. We need to change the storyline in order to continue being an international leader in the age tech space.
Second, we need to accelerate actual access to broadband Internet, which is often a challenge in rural and indigenous communities. In our modern society and in a country like Canada, access needs to be considered a basic right. In long-term care and seniors residences, Wi-Fi must be available.
Finally, supporting clinicians to integrate apps and other new technology into their clinical practices is key for transforming Canada's health care systems. The federal government can play a role in this by earmarking funds for assistive technologies that help with low vision, hearing, cognition and social inclusion, which are critically important for seniors.
As a Canadian organization driving forward Canada's age tech sector, Age-Well will continue to work with key partners in industry, government and community groups to guide and increase the impact of homegrown innovations.
Seniors and caregivers, whose involvement is essential, will be with us every step of the way to ensure that emerging technologies are practical, and will be adopted now and post-pandemic.
Thank you very much for this opportunity to speak with you.
I welcome any questions from the committee.