Did you know that, in Greater Victoria, the number of people aged 75+ will more than double to roughly 47,000 people by 2040? With this demographic growing faster than any other in our community, I fear what the future may look like for local seniors.
I grew up in a small town that, like Victoria, had a lot of elderly residents – so much so that many of my friends were decades older than me. Though I didn’t fully understand why at the time, I quickly realized that my visits had a real impact on my most elderly friends. Just by showing up, by taking an interest, I brought them joy.
This simple realization led me to a career in long-term care. I spent decades working at Tillicum Lodge, Oak Bay Lodge, Aberdeen, and Priory here in Greater Victoria, leading and organizing support programs for elderly residents. It was often the simplest things that made a difference – someone to talk to, a sense of purpose or of being valued – but they often didn’t know how to ask for help, or feel like they should.
I’ll never forget one resident at Oak Bay Lodge who said to me, “Why would you want to come here and look after us old folks? You need to go get a life!” To me, helping care for those in need was my life, and I didn’t want to be anywhere else.
But now as I age myself, I see how seniors and their needs often seem to get forgotten. It’s rarely seen as a tragedy when an older person’s health declines, even when the decline could have easily been prevented through simple social programs, or with mobility support. I even find that I’m becoming invisible – people often bump into me now when I go shopping – so it’s easy to see how seniors can come to feel like they’re just a burden that’s in the way.
So as Victoria’s population gets older, I fear what this will mean for the growing number of elderly who will be aging at home. I know what their needs will be, and how few of these needs will be met by the government-funded portion of our healthcare system. Many seniors also won’t know who to ask for help, or even feel like they can ask.
Fortunately, when I worked in healthcare, I became aware of the Greater Victoria Eldercare Foundation and the wonderful contribution they make in seniors’ lives. For me, financially supporting Eldercare is now a way I can help seniors and the elderly in my community. I’ve even created a gift in my will to Eldercare, so that I can keep ‘showing up’ for seniors after I’m gone. I take great comfort in that.
- Barb Doughty, former healthcare worker, and Eldercare donor
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