New RTOERO white papers shed light on healthy aging

How can Canadians age the best? That’s a critical question for a country where almost 18% of the population is over 65, heading to 20% within a few years and 25% by mid-century.

Canadians are living longer, and as they do they also need to live better. To explore how, RTOERO released four white papers in December, available for download at rtoero.ca.

Since 1968, RTOERO has been a voice for teachers, school and board administrators, educational support staff and college and university faculty in their retirement. Our mission is to improve the lives of our members and seniors.

“Older adults are the fastest-growing age group in Canada. We want to share some insights around the issues that are critical to them, for the sake of a healthy, active and secure future,” says Rich Prophet, the chair of the board at RTOERO.

The four RTOERO white papers look at on different dimensions of healthy aging.

• The health coverage gap: How Canadian retirees can protect themselves against the inevitable. Health and wealth – people want to preserve both. But health care can drain personal budgets, especially in retirement. Many retirees aren’t fully prepared to cover their health costs. Good health is never guaranteed. But there are ways to plan for their expenses. RTOERO offers five things for Canadian retirees to consider.

• 5 ways to think about retirement planning…and money isn’t one of them. During the 2020s, some 5 million Canadians will turn 65. The Baby Boomer generation has quickened the pace of retirements. RTOERO wants people to have their best life in retirement. But what defines a meaningful retirement? Beyond money, RTOERO explores five ways to re-think retirement planning.

• Healthy at any age: Understanding wellness across the lifespan. In a society that values youth and physical appearance, aging may seem like something to try to avoid. But everyone ages. It’s natural. Canada will soon be a super-aged society. Addressing healthy aging has never been more important. While there are actions individuals can take, healthy aging must also be a societal priority.

• The nuances of ageism: How intersectionality can impact the experience of aging. Ageism has significant individual and societal consequences. When ageism intersects with other forms of bias, individuals’ implications can worsen. It’s urgent to address ageism and to look at it alongside other biases.

“The health of our communities depends in large part on the well-being of its seniors,” says Prophet. “We want to spark a dialogue about these four issues, and contribute to the policies and actions that benefit such a huge and vital segment of the population.”

The new white papers add to RTOERO’s library of thought leadership papers on issues including a national seniors strategy, geriatric health care, and environmental stewardship.

RTOERO is a bilingual trusted voice on healthy, active living in the retirement journey for the broader education community. With 81,000+ members in 51 districts across Canada, we are the largest national provider of non-profit group health benefits for education retirees.

RTOERO media contact: Sylvia Link, Director of Marketing and Communications, [email protected], 416-209-1249 (cell)