A Prescription To Reform Canada鈥檚 Broken Eldercare System - Forbes, March 18, 2021
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Professor at the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health and former 91社区 Global Health Programs Director discussed long-term health care for the elders with health journalist Andr茅 Picard.
"Canada鈥檚 healthcare system is often held up as an example to other countries. And Canada鈥檚 Covid-19 response has been more thoughtful and science-based than countries such as the US or UK. But one [its] biggest failures was brutally exposed during the ongoing pandemic: an unacceptably high rate of Covid-19 deaths among elders living in long-term care facilities. Of the 22,500 Covid-19 deaths in Canada thus far, nearly 75% occurred among elders living in institutional settings. Overall, 88% of Covid-19 deaths have been in people over the age of 70. Many elders died alone, without family or friends, and often without palliative care. And nobody has been held accountable for this disastrous outcome."