Canada Life Expectancy Falls 3rd Year In A Row

[Economy 52,844]

https://ssnews.page.link/DscH6bSEjC8ptESK7

 

Once a Nation in top 5 of highest Life Expectancies, Canada has now had a drop for a 3rd year in a row, unprecedented in recent modern history. Life expectancy now stands at 81.3 years while some developed Nations that shine are now at 83 and 84

 

Covid, rising drug over doses, suicide and rising obesity and blood pressure are being blamed

 

Another factor that is often cited by experts (but not in this linked article) is longer wait times for surgeries and medical treatments.

[Bonkers 30,860]

I was talking to my sister today and she commented that everything is supposed to get better once the boomers die off, but for some reason it's taking longer than it should.

Thank you for the update, hopefully we see housing prices, etc fall once our beloved elders stop existing.  

[Flapjack 1,264]

Shoutout to the boomers

[faysalaaa 5,336]

1 hour ago, Economy said:

Another factor that is often cited by experts (but not in this linked article) is longer wait times for surgeries and medical treatments.

So it is true that people in Canada have to sometime wait to get treatment even if its serious issue like cancer? Ive heard stories but thought it wasnt true.

[Flapjack 1,264]

55 minutes ago, faysalaaa1 said:

So it is true that people in Canada have to sometime wait to get treatment even if its serious issue like cancer? Ive heard stories but thought it wasnt true.

This essentially has happened to my aunt with late-stage cancer. She was delayed a few MONTHS. My mom even had been delayed by about a month to get her tumor removed. I have some friends who work in hospitals and all their coworkers are either not permitted to work or are quitting due to a lack of hours, to keep the number of workers to patients extremely low. This isn't new though obviously, eating disorder clinics that I needed to go to closed down, concussion treatment centers took months to get to me (took me 2 years to recover), etc. Our healthcare system's design is beyond the brink of 'just enough' and it's falling into 'treat yourself or GG' for anyone who doesn't have the privilege of access or money.

[faysalaaa 5,336]

9 minutes ago, Flapjack said:

This essentially has happened to my aunt with late-stage cancer. She was delayed a few MONTHS. My mom even had been delayed by about a month to get her tumor removed. I have some friends that work in hospitals and all their coworkers are either not permitted to work or are quitting due to lack of hours, to keeping the number of workers to patients extremely low. This isn't new though obviously, eating disorder clinics that I needed to go to closed down, concussion treatment centers took months to get to me (took me 2 years to recover), etc. Our healthcare system's design is beyond the brink of 'just enough' and it's falling into 'treat yourself or GG' for anyone who doesn't have the privilege of access or money.

Thats crazy, I always thought Canada's healthcare system was good, and a model the United States wants to follow. Is Medicare for all not a good system, or is it something different thats causing this? 

[Jnick8 530]

13 minutes ago, Flapjack said:

This essentially has happened to my aunt with late-stage cancer. She was delayed a few MONTHS. My mom even had been delayed by about a month to get her tumor removed. I have some friends that work in hospitals and all their coworkers are either not permitted to work or are quitting due to lack of hours, to keeping the number of workers to patients extremely low. This isn't new though obviously, eating disorder clinics that I needed to go to closed down, concussion treatment centers took months to get to me (took me 2 years to recover), etc. Our healthcare system's design is beyond the brink of 'just enough' and it's falling into 'treat yourself or GG' for anyone who doesn't have the privilege of access or money.

That’s nuts. I’m so sorry to hear.  What part of the county are you in? My mother is in the hospital right now and I have no complaints. Great service and care. She is in eastern Ontario. 

[Economy 52,844]

1 hour ago, faysalaaa1 said:

So it is true that people in Canada have to sometime wait to get treatment even if its serious issue like cancer? Ive heard stories but thought it wasnt true.

 

30 minutes ago, faysalaaa1 said:

Thats crazy, I always thought Canada's healthcare system was good, and a model the United States wants to follow. Is Medicare for all not a good system, or is it something different thats causing this? 

It wasnt always like this. The last 10-15 years theres been a gradual and consistent strain building and funding did not fully keep up with ageing population (which requires more care), and also Canadas unusually overall high population growth by developed nation standards 

 

Then the pandemic came and the already strained system started to absolutely crumble with the increased demand. Backlogues in surgeries and specialist appointments that formed during pandemic never got caught up with and continue to linger

 

Then theres the fact that the north american life style particularly diet wise is known to be pretty bad for your health. Lots of fast food. Lots of harmful chemicals that in Europe for example are banned. Even sugar here we use a lot of corn syrup or fructose instead cuz its cheaper but even worse for u than regular sugar

 

I feel like the elderly people of 20 years ago grew up eating less junk but the elderly ppl of today already grew up in a time with more unhealthy habbits. Creating more demand in healthcare to try to conpensate I feel like.

 

Lastly u mentioned the US. Its important when making comparisons to not just look at the system but also the spending/cost. The US spends almost 2X per capita as much on healthcare as Canada does (counting both private and government costs). If Canada spent as much as the US per capita under the current system the quality would be way better

 

So id argue the issue is insufficient funding and poor management as of late not necessairily the system. The system in the past here in Canada did not have these issues. Wait times were much better and quality was better too

[Flapjack 1,264]

26 minutes ago, faysalaaa1 said:

Thats crazy, I always thought Canada's healthcare system was good, and a model the United States wants to follow. Is Medicare for all not a good system, or is it something different thats causing this? 

Medicare for all is an excellent thing as it prevents people who are suffering from also worrying about the financial burden of aid. However, our system hasn't been updated nor appropriately run for decades at this point. The infrastructure isn't there for what the population needs, especially considering seniors, a rising population, an ongoing drug crisis, and hospitals being run by business people (I thought hospitals were run by elected leaders since they're funded by our taxes, but I was wrong lol). I think other nations with more functional systems (Northern European countries, Japan maybe), are a better model for all of us to follow as a whole.

[Flapjack 1,264]

29 minutes ago, Jnick81 said:

That’s nuts. I’m so sorry to hear.  What part of the county are you in? My mother is in the hospital right now and I have no complaints. Great service and care. She is in eastern Ontario. 

All of these experiences happened in the GTA. I have altogether had better experiences outside of it tbh

[Economy 52,844]

4 minutes ago, Flapjack said:

All of these experiences happened in the GTA. I have altogether had better experiences outside of it tbh

Dont go to Brampton civic omg. That ER is the worst 

 

Also on that topic how does a city of 700,000 have only 1 fully functioning hospital (even if it is a large one). Its totally nuts

[Robo Ga 15,614]

Our medical system is to blame. I have family in the system right now and the wait times are insane... and good luck if you don't have a family doctor because the waitlists in my area are beyond unacceptable. 

[imnotyourbabe10 6,120]

Don’t have the source - sorry - this is also happening in the US. For men, it’s down to 73 from 76 as far as I heard. I’m not complaining for myself, as I loathe the rise of Christo-Fascism here in the US. 
 

What is that LOTR quote? “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

And a favorite climate scientist once said: “At the edge of extinction, only love remains.” In love y’all  

And I just got a memo from my primary doc (super queer place too)they are closing their practice. Ugh. 

[imnotyourbabe10 6,120]

4 minutes ago, Robo Ga said:

Our medical system is to blame. I have family in the system right now and the wait times are insane... and good luck if you don't have a family doctor because the waitlists in my area are beyond unacceptable. 

So true. And also quoting because I haven’t been on here a lot lately - your profile pic is fire! Is that from the Chromatica era? It’s dark and TFM vibes. 

[Lucas 31,111]

With pollution, increasing amounts of chemicals in our food, waves coming from billions of phones and routers, antibiotics becoming less and less effective, I feel like even though humanity is doing progress medically, life expectancy will go down a lot during the coming decades.