One very lucky 88 year old woman

I have lived a very full serependitious life. I was born in England into a Jewish assimilated family. When I was five I watched preparations for WW11, barage balloons flew overhead, blackout curtains apppeared on windows which were criss crossed with brown paper. I was evacuated out of the London during the blitz. I learned to adapt to all these changes which provided me with survivor skills and the ability to bend with the flow.

My family - husband and two daughters - came to Toronto in 1967. For twenty six years I worked for a non profit organization in community and program development for adults with physically disabled adults which included Home Care Services and Housing.

I am very fortunate in that I am healthy, do not take any prescription medicines. Put it down to genes and paying attention to my diet and regular excerise walking and swimming It is only in the last year or so, that I have felt the need to slow down. So I have had no need to avail myself of any of the services available for seniors. However for the last twelve years I have watched our Health System collapse. I watch friends wait months for urgent treatment and pitiful home care services when they return home.

Twelve years ago when my husband was in the last stages of Parkinsons, there were adequate services available which supplement by some private funding, enabled him to die peacefully at home. This would not be possible now.