Vi Roden said she reads an average of 50 books a year, attends history lectures at her local seniors centre, and does yoga twice a week.
She含羞草研究社檚 101, and still lives in her own condo in West Vancouver, B.C.
含羞草研究社淚t never occurred to me that I would live this long,含羞草研究社� said Roden, a former Air Force typist who was 65 when she founded a charity for survivors of sexual abuse. 含羞草研究社淚 don含羞草研究社檛 know why, but I think it含羞草研究社檚 because I just enjoy every single day.含羞草研究社�
Joseph Novak, a 100-year-old Second World War veteran who lives in Whitehorse, lost his eyesight about a decade ago and spends his days listening to music and audiobooks.
Margaret Friend, 101, who lives in a long-term care home in Hamilton, was one of 14 children. Although she has dementia, she easily rattled off her siblings含羞草研究社� names 含羞草研究社� and noted that she was the only one left.
Lives as long as those of Roden, Novak and Friend, their challenges and joys, were once unlikely. But now they are part of a striking demographic phenomenon 含羞草研究社� Canada含羞草研究社檚 centenarian population is soaring.
Statistics Canada data show the country含羞草研究社檚 population of people aged at least 100 more than tripled between 2000 and 2023, up from 3,393 to 11,705. That makes centenarians the fastest growing age group in Canada, and the agency says their numbers are poised to rise almost ten times higher over the next half-century.
Experts attribute the rise to improvements in health care and medical awareness, although genetics likely plays a key role in individual cases.
Some relatives interviewed by The Canadian Press see their loved ones含羞草研究社� great longevity as a blessing, but a testing one. And medical professionals, sociologists and demographers are calling for policy changes to address issues faced by the centenarian population, such as dementia and social isolation.
Anne Martin-Matthews, a now-retired professor at the University of British Columbia, spent more than 40 years studying the sociology of aging.
含羞草研究社淧eople are living longer, and they含羞草研究社檙e in many ways healthier than they含羞草研究社檝e ever been,含羞草研究社� she said.
But she said sectors including health care and housing are largely unprepared for such an aging population despite decades of warning.
Statistics Canada on Monday released a forecast that the centenarian population would hit 106,100 by 2073, under a medium-growth scenario that would also see the population of people aged 85 or over more than tripling.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 with some surprise that we find ourselves now in 2024 and we含羞草研究社檙e still talking about how to plan for an aging population, (though) we have known for 50 years that this was coming,含羞草研究社� Martin-Matthews said.
含羞草研究社淐ertainly, this is a vibrant, vital population but the issue is how we, as a society, are positioned to provide assistance and support when it含羞草研究社檚 needed in later life, and that含羞草研究社檚 where I think we含羞草研究社檝e not lived up to the expectations.含羞草研究社�
Bill Hamill, 100, moved from Ontario to Gibsons, B.C., in 2015 after he lost his longtime partner, 96-year-old Thelma Weeks. Hamill now lives with his 70-year-old daughter, Mary Lou Hamill, in a duplex a few blocks from the town含羞草研究社檚 main strip.
The house is divided into two parts, allowing the father and daughter to maintain their independence. Bill lives in an apartment on the main floor, while Mary Lou Hamill stays in a suite upstairs.
She said she checks on her father every day and buys his groceries, but he is still able to cook and entertain himself.
Her father said he enjoys living in Gibsons, on B.C.含羞草研究社檚 Sunshine Coast about 50 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, and is often seen on his twice-daily walks around the neighbourhood.
But the war veteran, who took part in D-Day operations 80 years ago, now lives a solitary life.
含羞草研究社淥f course, I含羞草研究社檓 lonely,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淪ome days I don含羞草研究社檛 talk to a person.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社楪OOD FOR THE BODY 含羞草研究社� GOOD FOR THE BRAIN含羞草研究社�
Hamill said the secret to his longevity 含羞草研究社� and his life motto 含羞草研究社� is 含羞草研究社渆verything in moderation.含羞草研究社�
Dr. Roger Wong, a clinical professor in geriatric medicine at the University of British Columbia, said many potential factors could be at play when someone reaches 100.
含羞草研究社淲e know that one of those factors has to do with the fact that people are more aware of health conditions that may have in the past limited life expectancy,含羞草研究社� Wong said.
Research suggests that a combination of public health and medical improvements have contributed to the rise in centenarians. Studies show that on an individual level, staying active, eating well and managing stress are important for long lives, but genetics also play a big part.
It含羞草研究社檚 not just in Canada 含羞草研究社� the number of centenarians is booming around the world. They made up only about one out of every 200,000 people in the world in 1950, according to the United Nations. By 2021, the global rate was about 13 times higher.
But Canada has a much bigger share than most countries, per capita. Statistics Canada reports that the centenarian rate last year was about 29 per 100,000 population, compared with 6.9 per 100,000 globally in 2020.
And it含羞草研究社檚 not just the centenarian population that is on the rise. Between 2000 and 2023, Canada含羞草研究社檚 population of people in their 90s rose 175 per cent to 344, 273, while those in their 80s was up 89 per cent to 1.46 million. At the same time, the total population of Canada was up by 30 per cent, driven mainly by immigration, and the population of children aged up to nine rose 4.6 per cent.
As Canada含羞草研究社檚 elderly population rises, the number of people with cognitive decline is also set to increase, said Wong. He said projections suggest Canadians living with dementia 含羞草研究社渨ill go up three times in the next 30 years.含羞草研究社�
That含羞草研究社檚 even as the actual rate of dementia decreases worldwide, likely due to better nutrition, exercise, and preventive behaviours, said Martin-Matthews.
Centenarian Margaret Friend was upbeat as she took part in a Zoom interview, telling stories from her life and describing the activities she likes in her care home: bingo, bowling, watching television.
Her son, Jim Friend 含羞草研究社� who attributes his mother含羞草研究社檚 longevity to 含羞草研究社済ood genes含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社� sat in on the interview and said some days her memory is better than others.
含羞草研究社淚n the last year, it has been very noticeable and the decline is becoming more prevalent. It has been a learning curve for me personally,含羞草研究社� he said.
Throughout the interview, Margaret often repeated the same phrase: 含羞草研究社淢y parents were strict.含羞草研究社� Her son tried to keep her on track, sometimes restating the questions.
含羞草研究社淪he含羞草研究社檚 still with us and we含羞草研究社檙e very thankful for that, but it含羞草研究社檚 been a challenge in all honesty,含羞草研究社� he said.
Short-term memory loss was a common concern among centenarians interviewed by The Canadian Press, even among those whose stories of a long life flow freely.
Hamill in Gibsons, for example, 含羞草研究社渞emembers things vividly含羞草研究社� when asked about his time in the military.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e worked for the railway. I lived in Africa for five years, and I was attached to the Royal Canadian Air Force, and we bombed D-Day at 6:10 in the morning. That was a sight you含羞草研究社檇 never want to see,含羞草研究社� he said.
Ask him about something more recent? 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 yesterday I have trouble with,含羞草研究社� he said with a laugh.
Others seem to have no such problems.
Roden, the yoga fan from West Vancouver, vividly described the 含羞草研究社渨onderful afternoon含羞草研究社� spent celebrating her 101st birthday on a recent Sunday at a granddaughter含羞草研究社檚 farm in Cloverdale. Guests included all six grandchildren, her 10 great-grandchildren and a llama.
含羞草研究社淎nd they are huge, and he came right up to me and he blew in my face,含羞草研究社� laughed Roden, as she recalled her encounter with the llama.
In addition to yoga, Roden is in a book club and is 含羞草研究社渧ery involved in politics.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 in extremely good health, and I含羞草研究社檓 very lively, and I like to get involved in situations,含羞草研究社� she said.
Wong said science shows 含羞草研究社渨hat含羞草研究社檚 good for the body is also good for the brain.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲e know that exercise, socialization, prevention of stroke, and interestingly, fixing hearing loss and hearing problems, these are some of the things that are really helpful to keep in the brain healthy,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淭hat said, we still have a long way to go, because there are many things that we can do to prevent deterioration.含羞草研究社�
Wong said social isolation is a huge issue facing this population, most of whom live alone.
Centenarians have typically outlived their siblings, childhood friends and partners. Hamill, who had nine siblings, and Friend, one of 14, are such examples.
Novak, from Whitehorse, misses Mary, his wife of 73 years, terribly. She died in 2019, within three months of their eldest son, Peter. 含羞草研究社淵ou can imagine how bad (2019) was for me,含羞草研究社� said Novak, who lives in a senior care residence.
含羞草研究社淢ary was an exceptional girl and she also made me the better man that I am today,含羞草研究社� he said.
Novak said the beginning of June brought back 含羞草研究社渟ad memories含羞草研究社� as it marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the anniversary of Mary含羞草研究社檚 death. 含羞草研究社淏ut life must go on, the best you can,含羞草研究社� he said.
Wong said that loneliness has been shown to have negative health impacts. 含羞草研究社淪o, it含羞草研究社檚 not just about living to an old age, it含羞草研究社檚 their whole journey and experience,含羞草研究社� Wong said, before adding that含羞草研究社漧iving alone does not necessarily mean that a person is lonely.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲hat we are looking for is the connectivity with others,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲e know for example, that exercise, physical activities, visualization, this social connectivity are all important.含羞草研究社�
Martin-Matthews, who previously served as the scientific director of the Institute of Aging, also emphasized the importance of social connection.
含羞草研究社淭hat is crucial as we get older,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淪o, that含羞草研究社檚 family ties, or friendship ties or whatever they may be, but having that sense of social connection is absolutely vital as we get older.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社楪RACE AND HUMOUR含羞草研究社�
As the population of centenarians continues to rise, experts worry that the questions of how they will be housed and cared for have gone largely unaddressed by authorities, despite years of warnings.
Those issues have knock-on effects for their children, who are typically elderly themselves. Mark Rosenberg, a geographer and professor emeritus at Queen含羞草研究社檚 University, Kingston, Ont., said the issue 含羞草研究社渋s going to be hard to sort out.含羞草研究社�
He said this type of scenario often comes at a high cost for the caregiver, who is also aging and often lacks the 含羞草研究社渆nergy and strength含羞草研究社� to take care of a person who needs more and more help.
He flagged an urgent need to create 含羞草研究社渕any more housing alternatives含羞草研究社� for seniors.
He said older people typically have two options: to stay in their own homes or move into long-term care.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 very little in between, particularly for people who are low income, or even middle income,含羞草研究社� he said.
And the longer people live, the more their resources dwindle, he said.
含羞草研究社淥nce they retire, for most older people, they含羞草研究社檙e living off of their pensions, and pensions are rarely, in this day and age, keeping up with the cost of living,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淪o, they含羞草研究社檙e slowly running down their assets.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淢y feeling is that people who don含羞草研究社檛 have really strong social networks are more and more likely, as they approach 100, to find themselves alone with fewer resources to manage the everyday challenges of their lives.含羞草研究社�
Martin-Matthews said the biggest issues that need addressing are improving care facilities and community assistance for those still living at home. She said the COVID-19 pandemic and high mortality rates in long-term care homes showcased 含羞草研究社渉orrific conditions, understaffing and overcrowding.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淢any of us assumed it would be a wake-up call, in terms of how we are dealing with the care of frail, elderly people in the last years of their lives, and it didn含羞草研究社檛 change. Nothing含羞草研究社檚 changed,含羞草研究社� she said.
Martin-Matthews also noted the increasing trend of children, like Mary Lou Hamill, who are also over the age of 65, taking care of very elderly parents.
Bill Hamill, who turns 101 in August, said he was grateful that he could move to B.C. to live with his daughter after the deaths of a son then his partner Thelma in Ontario. 含羞草研究社淚 thought I含羞草研究社檇 be staying in Toronto but I含羞草研究社檓 glad I didn含羞草研究社檛 because I really need her,含羞草研究社� Hamill said of his daughter.
He flipped through a photobook he was gifted for his 100th birthday, and pointed to a black-and-white photo of six young men in suits.
含羞草研究社淭hat was my wedding night,含羞草研究社� he said without hesitation. The photo depicts him and his brothers, who served as his groomsman.
含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e all gone,含羞草研究社� he said matter-of-factly. 含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 from a family of 10 kids and I was number seven. My last brother just died a couple of months ago, and so I含羞草研究社檓 the last of my generation.含羞草研究社�
But he said he was still optimistic.
含羞草研究社淩ight now, there含羞草研究社檚 not much to complain about other than getting up throughout the night, but evidently that happens to most old guys,含羞草研究社� he joked.
Roden, too, sees the lighter side of her unexpected longevity. It comes easily to a woman who says the biggest challenge of being 101 is to 含羞草研究社渟tay upright.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淕rowing old, a friend asked me what it was like, and I said, I think you have to do it with grace and humour,含羞草研究社� said Roden.
She added: 含羞草研究社淚 think you have to laugh at yourself sometimes. 含羞草研究社業 can含羞草研究社檛 do that. I can含羞草研究社檛 do this.含羞草研究社� You just laugh, laugh at yourself.含羞草研究社�
And then she did.
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