Cancer screening expanding across Canada
Canada is making excellent progress in establishing, expanding and improving lung and cervical cancer screening programs across the country, according to new environmental scan reports from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (the Partnership). This is critical because regular screening can help save lives. “Screening programs that are more accessible to everyone, including those in rural and remote […]
Canadian seniors should take iron deficiency seriously
Iron deficiency is a common issue among Canadian seniors, and it can have serious health implications if left untreated. Iron is essential for producing hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. When there isn’t enough iron, the body can’t produce adequate hemoglobin, leading to a condition called iron deficiency […]
How Canadian seniors can sleep without pills
A strategy developed by Canadian researchers for encouraging older patients with insomnia to wean themselves from sleeping pills and improve their sleep through behavioral techniques is effective, data suggest. If proven helpful for the millions of older Canadians who currently rely on nightly benzodiazepines (BZDs) and non-BZDs (colloquially known as Z drugs) for their sleep, […]
Most Canadian seniors are not ‘health literate’
October marks Health Literacy Month — a time to recognize the importance of making health information easy to understand and the health care system easier to navigate. According to the Canadian Public Health Association, 60 per cent of Canadian adults and 88 per cent of seniors are not health literate. Patients with low health literacy […]
Disability Rights Coalition Challenges Canada’s Assisted Dying Law
A coalition of disability rights organizations and two personally affected individuals have filed a Charter challenge with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. They oppose Track 2 of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) law, which provides assisted suicide to people with a disability who are not dying, or whose death is not “reasonably foreseeable.” The coalition […]
5 Essentials to fight Asthma During the Cooler Months
With the arrival of cooler fall and winter months, Asthma Canada and the Lung Health Foundation are urging the 4.6 million Canadians living with asthma to take proactive steps in managing their condition. This call to action is part of the “Break Breathlessness: Press Play on Life” campaign. Asthma-related hospital visits often increase during the […]
Did B.C. protect seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic?
The Hospital Employees’ Union released a report that shows how B.C. was able outperform other provinces in protecting seniors in long-term care (LTC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, titled Long-term Solutions for Long-term Care: Analyzing provincial COVID-19 responses to LTC staffing to improve working conditions and seniors care, compared pandemic policies in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and […]
Canadian seniors get more access to vaccines
Pfizer Canada ULC applauds the Canadian provinces and territories that have added PREVNAR 20 (pneumococcal 20-valent conjugate vaccine) to their publicly funded immunization programs for adults, now in effect. PREVNAR 20 is approved by Health Canada for the prevention of pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease (including sepsis, meningitis, bacteremic pneumonia, pleural empyema and bacteremia) caused […]
Winter means risk of falls for Canadian seniors
Falls pose a significant health risk for older adults in Canada, leading to many injuries and hospital stays. The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that falls are the most common type of injury among elderly Canadians. About one in three Canadian seniors aged 65 and older experiences at least one serious fall each year. […]
Canada needs a silver alert program for seniors
A Silver Alert program, designed to locate missing seniors, offers numerous benefits for communities in Canada. This program, akin to the Amber Alert system for missing children, specifically targets seniors, particularly those with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other cognitive impairments. As Canada’s population ages, with a growing number of seniors vulnerable to wandering or getting lost, […]
