While the details of the neglect in care centers are awful, there's nothing at all surprising here. Experts have been warning for many years that we're unprepared for the tidal wave of aging Canadians and how it will slam our health care system, seniors care, and pensions.
Little is done about it because the only solution - dramatically increasing spending and taxes - is politically untenable. Aging voters don't want to pay more because they believe (mistakenly*) that they already paid enough taxes in their life to cover this. Younger voters complain (understandably) that they can't be expected to pay higher taxes to cover the costs of older generations while also saving for their own retirement expenses. And nobody wants to break the taboo and ask why it's simply a given that we should extend lifespans higher and higher without any regard for the cost or our ability to pay it.
A commission or panel isn't going to sort this out with a checklist of better practices. It's a matter of money. Lots and lots and lots of money.
* The figures for how much our health care system spends on a typical person on just the final six months of life are staggering.
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Originally Posted by fotze
If this day gets you riled up, you obviously aren't numb to the disappointment yet to be a real fan.
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