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S A S K AT O O N S TA R P H O E N I X
SENIOrS’ WEEk 2018
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Will innovation improve the aging experience? by carol T odd
A leading provider of retirement communities and longterm care services for seniors says companies need to develop products and services that improve the aging experience for seniors. In a recent survey, the Revera Report on Innovation and the Aging Experience found that Canada’s seniors are not afraid of innovation and want the private sector to develop products and services that improve the aging experience, empower their independence and provide more choice. In a news release announcing the report, Thomas G. Wellner, the president and CEO of Revera, said that seniors are increasingly taking an active report in defining what they want. “This represents a tremendous opportunity for Canadian businesses that choose to focus on innovations for the senior market.” Trish Barbato, Revera’s senior vice-president for Innovation & Strategic Partnerships, and a key leader on the report, says the impetus for the report came from the company’s role as a major provider of senior services. Through its portfolio of partnerships, Revera owns or operates more than 500 properties across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, serving more than
55,000 seniors. The company offers seniors’ apartments, independent living, assisted living, memory care and long-term care. In preparing the report, Revera consulted with seniors living in its homes, contracted with Leger for a national poll and also held an online survey. Barbato says the report represents a “wake-up call” to Canadian businesses and market researchers, which the report found tend to lump all senior citizens into one category. Often, anyone over the age of 65 is categorized as a single group from a market perspective, the report states. With Canadians living well into their 80s and 90s, Revera recommends that companies rethink how they view the senior market given that a person who is 85 years old has different wants and needs than someone in their early 70s. “It’s important to not just look at seniors as one lump group. The needs of someone age 65 to 75 will be different than those of a person who is age 75 to 85,” she says. “There’s a tremendous opportunity for companies and start-ups to take another look at the senior population and come up with innovative solutions to older adults’ concerns about health or losing their independence,” Barbato says. The report found that
Trish Barbato, Revera Senior Vice-President for Innovation & Strategic Partnerships
87 per cent of respondents agreed innovation would help solve many worries they have about aging, and 84 per cent said the private sector can do more to improve the aging experience. The report offers three recommendations for Canadian companies ready to embrace innovation focused on seniors. First, recognize that seniors are a diverse segment and not a single demographic group. Second, adapt current product lines and services to reach the growing senior market. Finally, embrace the opportunity to develop new innovative products and services for older adults who are eager to remain independent as they age.
Tech companies are being encouraged to develop innovative products that will empower seniors and improve the aging experience. P hot o: Get t y ImaG es
For its part, Revera has launched the Innovators in Aging Program, a $20 million commitment to bring innovations to seniors. Revera plans to partner with, and invest in, innovative companies, providing guidance and pilot project sites. Revera also empowers its employees – everyone from senior leaders to frontline workers – to find solutions that elevate the resident experience and enhance care and services. Barbato says innovative marketing to seniors offers
an “exciting opportunity for everyone, including employers and companies to begin thinking differently.” The report found that seniors are actively seeking products and services that support independence and choice, but there is a gap in what is available to them given innovation efforts are rarely focused on improving the aging experience. The Canadian population will continue to age. Earlier this year, Statistics Canada reported that more than 23
per cent of the national population is aged 60 and older, and the 2016 census showed an increase of almost 11 per cent in the number of Saskatchewan residents age 65 and older. The Revera report states that these changing demographics provide a “tremendous business opportunity for Canadian companies to work with and design new innovative products for a segment of the population that is growing, that has wealth, and yet is often overlooked.”
Help starts here: 211 Saskatchewan by Michele Tyndall
We all know to call 911 in an emergency, or 611 for help with our phones, but there’s another number in Saskatchewan that is just as easy to use, and provides access to an amazing array of services: 211 Saskatchewan. Provided by United Way Regina and United Way of Saskatoon and Area, through the support of the Community Initiatives Fund and Can Pacific Potash, the 211 Saskatchewan website was launched in the fall of 2013, and the expanded service, which includes the 2-1-1 phone line, texting and web chat, was launched this June. “Finding current information on appropriate and available services to meet day-to-day needs is often a very daunting task for many people, so a three-digit dial code connecting us to 24-by-7 support to find services is an effective ‘front door’ which makes navigation much easier,” said Erica England, Direc-
tor of Development & Engagement, United Way of Saskatoon & Area. Today, 211 Saskatchewan boasts over 5,000 listings that include non-clinical health services, government services and social services. Topics range from mental health and addictions to home, food and income information. The service is free and confidential. “Many studies on issues affecting citizens of Saskatchewan have found service navigation to be a key challenge. While such a challenge is not unique to Saskatchewan, providing a ‘one-stop shop’ for easier access to services is a viable solution for our province,” said England. To make the 211 Saskatchewan program effective, the services are also grouped together based on the people seeking those services. This includes immigrants and Indigenous people, all age groups from children and families to young adults and seniors, and people with unique issues such as veter-
Seniors can call 2-1-1 to enquire about home support, transportation, social and recreational programs, as well as medical information such as where to find a pharmacy with a low cost payment plan. Ph oto: G e t ty I maG es
ans or people with disabilities. Service information is available in over 100 languages. In 2017, over 100,000 people used the 211 Saskatchewan website. “Given travel distances between communities in Saskatchewan, and the fact that many services tend to con-
centrate in larger communities, it is important and helpful for people trying to access services to be informed and equipped with current and accurate information about those services, such as operating hours, fees, eligibility criteria, waiting lists, etc.,” said England.
211 Saskatchewan calls are answered by trained information and referral specialists. They are able to link callers to the best available information for them based on their criteria (age, location, etc.) using their searchable database. These specialists also provide a human contact, someone to
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listen and compassion for every caller’s unique questions. This is especially helpful to seniors in Saskatchewan, who often find themselves living in isolation and unsure of their options. “Information is provided based on their needs and locations. When a senior is faced with more than one challenge or need for support, the 211 community navigator is a trained professional who will listen and help the senior find available services,” said England. Calls to 211 Saskatchewan from seniors include inquiries about home support, transportation, social and recreational programs, as well as medical information such as where to find a pharmacy with a low cost payment plan. Other enquiries relate to meeting basic needs, such as food programs and mental health, and where to find help when facing abuse or domestic violence. Visit www.sk.211.ca to get started today.