11:15 am ET | Rosa Dragonetti
12:15 pm ET | Luka Senk

---

GUEST- Rosa Dragonetti, manager of camh nicotine dependence clinic.

TOPIC – Zoomers & smoking

INFO – Smoking seniors. Older smokers are at greater risks from smoking because they have smoked longer (an average of 40 years), tend to be heavier smokers, and are more likely to suffer from smoking-related illnesses. They are also significantly less likely than younger smokers to believe that smoking harms their health. Research shows that cigarette smokers have a far greater chance of developing dementia of any kind including Alzheimer’s disease compared to nonsmokers. Smokers also have two to three times the risk of developing cataracts, the leading cause of blindness and visual loss, as nonsmokers.

---

GUEST – Luka Senk, Physiotherapist at Riverwood Senior Living in Alliston Ontario

TOPIC – Cutbacks to OHIP coverage of Physiotherapy, and the negative impact this will have on Zoomers.

INFO – Basically 3 different issues at play
1) More access in community (good thing) BUT at the cost of cutting LTC and Retirement home Physio.
2) Approx 60% cuts to funding in Long Term Care Home ( bad thing)
3) Complete cut for retirement home with only some bed ridden patients able to access CCAC.
All other seniors will have to find the closest OHIP clinic (Main focus of our issue is this topic).