If We Want Seniors to Stay Home, Why Do We Make It So Hard?

By Dale Jodoin Columnist                                               Oshawa is a union town. We know what a picket line looks like. For generations Those are fair questions. We saw how We hear it all the time. Seniors want to stay in their own homes. Governments want that too. It helps seniors keep their independence and stay connected to their community. But there is something missing from this conversation. Not every senior is in a wheelchair. Not every senior has dementia or needs someone looking after them every day. Many seniors are still fairly fit. They cook. They clean. They shop. They go for coffee. They take the bus. They visit family. They work around the house. But maybe they have a bad hip. Maybe it is a knee that needs replacing. Suddenly, something as simple as going downtown can become a challenge. I understand this more than I once did. When you have trouble with a hip or knee, you begin noticing things you never noticed before. You notice how far away the next bench is. You notice stairs. You notice narrow spaces. And if you use a walker, you really notice washrooms. Think about going into a restaurant. The accessible stall is being used, so you try the regular stall. How do you get yourself and a walker through that little door? Sometimes you cannot. The same thing happens with public transit. Durham Region Transit has accessible buses, ramps and spaces for mobility devices. That is important. But getting onto the bus is only part of the trip. Can you move through it safely? Can you get a seat? What happens when the bus is crowded and you are trying to turn a walker around? Then there is the waiting for surgery. Canada has a benchmark of 26 weeks for hip and knee replacement surgery. Yet many Canadians wait beyond that benchmark. During that time, life continues. You still need groceries. You still have appointments. You still want to see your grandchildren. Most importantly, you want to keep moving. That is where Oshawa and other cities can make a difference. We need more benches along walking routes. A bench might not seem important to a healthy 30 year old. To somebody with a painful hip, that bench might be what allows them to walk another block. We need bus stops where people can sit. We need sidewalks kept clear, especially during an Oshawa winter. We need public washrooms that people using walkers can actually use. Pedestrian crossings also deserve another look. Is there enough time for someone with a walker to safely cross a busy street? And what about our parks? We should have more exercise equipment designed for older adults. Many seniors want to exercise. They are not asking for somebody to do everything for them. They are trying to remain independent. Perhaps city councillors and planners should spend a few hours with seniors who use walkers. Take the bus with them. Walk several blocks. Try the washroom. Wait at a bus stop. Try it again in January when there is snow on the ground. You might learn more doing that than reading another hundred page report. There is also a financial side to this. Helping someone remain active and independent may help them stay in their home longer. Isolation and inactivity can take away confidence surprisingly quickly. Sometimes independence comes down to very small things. A bench. A cleared sidewalk. A safe washroom. A place on the bus. We keep telling seniors to stay active, stay healthy and stay in their own homes. Fine. Now we have to help make that possible. So here is the question I would put around the kitchen table. If Oshawa truly wants to be an age-friendly city, are we willing to walk beside our seniors and see the city through their eyes. Because if a person can live independently in their own home but cannot safely get around their own community, we still have work to do.