ABSTRACT
The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that chronic diseases are one of the most serious problems to attend in the health care system. In 2012, 85 per cent of the older adults aged between 65 and 79 years and 90 per cent of seniors aged over 80 years had at least some chronic disease (Public Health Agency of Canada 2014). Examples of chronic diseases include asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, post-stroke effects and Alzheimer’s disease. Such illnesses are difficult and 27expensive to manage, both for the patient and for the healthcare system. Additionally, in industrialized countries, such as Canada, the US, West European countries including the UK, and Japan, people who are 60-years old or older are expected to account for between 26.8 per cent and 44.0 per cent of the population by 2050, as compared to 17.8 per cent and 26.4 per cent in 2005 (Mercado et al. 2007). The greater prevalence in chronic health problems experienced by older adults is predicted to cause a significant rise in already expensive health care costs and overextended systems.
