Dalton McGuinty Visits Savaria
Linda Jeffrey MPP, Dalton McGuinty Ontario Premier and Savaria Staff
We were honoured to welcome the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty to Savaria in Brampton on November 16th. With the background hub-bub of our manufacturing plant, the Premier talked about the new healthy home renovation tax credit program. We were also pleased to welcome Linda Jeffrey, MPP Brampton Springdale who accompanied the Premier on the tour.
Offering up to $1500 on the first $10,000 of home renovations for seniors living in Ontario, the program promises to help seniors stay in their homes longer, avoiding moving to healthcare facilities sooner than needed. Since many aging adults suffer from mobility issues such as knee and hip problems, adding a stairlift or a platform lift can be the best way to remain at home – the place most people want to be. Mr McGuinty toured the Savaria showroom and shook hands with many of our employees as he went. It was a great opportunity for Savaria staff to feel proud about the kind of products we make.
Design for a lifetime
Design for a lifetime is a concept that revolves around creating an environment that addresses your needs today while fulfilling them in the future. Installing a home elevator is a perfect way to exemplify this concept. A Savaria home elevator provides you with an easy alternative to carrying groceries, baskets of laundry and even your child’s stroller over a hefty flight of stairs. The elevator will be useful for helping your parents and perhaps you in the years to come. An elevator can provide you with a lifetime of use as generations pass, allowing you to stay in your home longer.
Savaria elevators also offer a wide variety of finishes from finely crafted hardwood to a variety of fixtures to suit your needs and tastes. Your local contactor and Savaria dealer can enhance your installation including amenities such as a glass hoistway and glass window in your elevator, so you can enjoy the view as well as some natural light. By eliminating the barrier of stairs, and suiting your décor needs, an elevator will enable you to enjoy your home longer while increasing the value of your home in the process. Offering safety, convenience and comfort, Savaria’s line of products can be found here as well as in this short video.
Aging and Accessibility: A growing relationship
Ever worried about having the health, social and recreational services being within a block or two of where you live? Although this distance isn’t much, do you think about how difficult it is to access these places? If you drive, find it easy to walk, or take the bus now, you’re not concerned today. But as a senior, your day-to-day needs may become challenge-filled.
For some seniors, the ability to drive is diminished as a result of impaired vision, walking several blocks could be difficult and accessible public transit may not exist. Take a look at your own neighborhood and mentally map out a 1 mile radius accounting for the services you will need. Many city planners are doing this in anticipation of supporting the rapidly aging population. This includes improving accessible transportation and strategically positioning new social and health services for ease of access.
According to statistics, 1 in 5 North Americans will be 60 and above by 2025. This brings forth the issue of accessibility and infrastructure planning for the aging. The Institute for Life Course and Aging, University of Toronto presents an example of how a neighborhood could change to accommodate future needs, including effective visuals of real Toronto streets. See more about this here.
Possibly more golf, bridge and bingo for Canadians?
Canada’s aging population consistently been growing over the past 3 decades. Are people getting older faster? No, but a combination of factors is driving this growth including: aging baby boomers, an increased life expectancy and a decreasing fertility rate. For the exact statistics and statistics by region, have a look at Human Resources Canada’s statistics on the aging of the population.