Cochrane, like the rest of the country, is getting older.
In 2011, our senior population (over the age of 65) was 1,780 people – about 10 per cent of the population, according to the federal census.
Last year, those numbers ballooned to 5,045 or 20 per cent of the population.
Canada, for the first time in its history, has a larger senior population – around 5.9 million – than it does children younger than 14 – around 5.8 million.
As the population gets older, more strain is being put on the health care system, especially as provinces try to navigate a chronic and growing shortage of long-term care beds.
While the province had previously announced 2,000 new long-term care beds by 2019, critics say the plan does not go far enough and the growth of the elderly population in Cochrane demonstrates how quickly the elderly population is rising.
While the number of beds is the primary concern, it is not the only factor. Location is also vital and it is important that seniors be given the opportunity and the means to age in place.
Support of family and community is vital, which means Cochrane seniors should be able to live here as long as possible.
Bethany Cochrane is doing its best to make that happen.
Its planned expansion has a number of new beds for a variety of needs.
Phase one includes 80 affordable housing units and 40 market-rate units, phase two would have 90 long-term care beds and phase three plans for 90 long-term beds.
Whether that would meet the future need of the community is unclear, but it would go a long way to helping ensure many community seniors are not forced to leave Cochrane.
Earlier this month, many were hoping a visit by Lori Sigurdson, Alberta’s minister of senior and housing, meant the province was going to announce funding for the expansion – a must to make the project a possibility.
Unfortunately the project was not submitted to the province for consideration this year, but will be on the radar for next year’s budget.
That doesn’t mean it will get to dip into the pot of provincial cash and we hope a massive 200-bed centre planned in Calgary does not hurt Cochrane’s chances.
Cochrane is a desirable place to live and to retire and now our leaders need to help make sure it is also a great place to age.
