The federal-provincial-territorial ministers responsible for seniors recently endorsed the model and encouraged the Public Health Agency to provide leadership in expanding its application across the country. We are now actively pursuing this charge, building on the broad and keen interest that already exists.
We believe that the age-friendly communities model can help seniors and all of the stakeholders in Canada's aging population to determine and initiate needed action that is responsive to and respectful of local needs and jurisdictional priorities.
In closing, I would say that evidence clearly demonstrates that older adults can live longer, healthier lives by staying socially connected, increasing their levels of physical activity, eating in a healthy way, taking steps to minimize their risks for falls, and refraining from smoking.
Canadian and international research shows that providing supporting and age-friendly environments and opportunities—the policies, services, programs and surroundings—to enable healthy aging enhances the independence and quality of life of older people.
I focused my comments today on a public health approach for addressing the health of older Canadians. Because our work addresses the health of all Canadians, it's highly relevant to your considerations concerning Canada's current and future veterans, including younger men and, increasingly, women.