Council on Healthy Aging

The Challenge

Canada is facing demographic challenges driven largely by the transition of baby-boomers into their retirement years and the steady lengthening of life expectancy. By the year 2015, baby-boomers will be 50-65 years old—by 2035 the youngest boomers will largely have retired. By then, almost a quarter of the Canadian population will be seniors in need of a wide range of services and supports to help them enjoy a high quality of life and, in some cases, to continue to work productively.

Our Approach

The Conference Board is establishing the Council on Healthy Aging (CHA) to address this challenge. The CHA is a new Executive Network dedicated to exploring the health-related issues and opportunities arising from this demographic change. Many studies have identified the health challenges that await this cohort as they enter life’s next phase, assured of a longer life expectancy. Consequently, the Council will examine systems, organizations and approaches that can help create the conditions for healthy aging in Canada as the aged population grows rapidly.

Mission and Themes

The mission of the Council is to enable knowledge exchange between important stakeholders, provide networking opportunities between like-minded individuals, and to facilitate connections with leading experts in the field. Potential meeting themes will include, for example; health delivery and social care models, home care and alternative care, social inclusion, housing, bias and ageism, transportation, and end-of-life strategies.