As I walked out of the grocery store, my wallet a bit lighter after spending $200 on things I may or may not have needed, I swore at the cold.
It was only -18°C, but with the windchill it felt like -24°. My cheeks burned in the frigid air. My breathing was a bit laboured as I carefully walked on the ice- and snow-covered asphalt to return my shopping cart. My eyes watered in the wind. When I got into the shelter of my vehicle, I applied lip chap while waiting for the heat to kick in.
Why was it taking so long?
Ah, the First World problems of a privileged white woman.
My friend’s furnace died just before Christmas, on the coldest day of the year (at that time). For a week, she had to get up every few hours to make sure the pipes weren’t freezing and keep her oven on low just to get some heat going through the house. Sweaters and blankets came out of the drawers. It was not pleasant. It was frightening to be without heat. But then she took some clothing donations to one of our city’s shelters and realized just how lucky she was to even have a furnace and the resources to replace it.
It puts things into perspective.
It’s a totally different story for our unhoused people. This winter, temperatures where I live have fluctuated like crazy. A couple of weeks ago, thanks to El Niño, we enjoyed tropical temps hovering around the 0 mark, and some days it was even one or two degrees above. But this last week, a polar vortex swept in, and we froze in minus 35-to-40-degree temperatures. This is Celsius, remember. Those temps are also without the windchill. That will cool things off to minus 50. How do you survive outside in that? Sadly, there are people who do. They may be fortunate enough to find a shelter to sleep in, but what about the daytime? No wonder addictions take over.
In November of 2023 I wrote a blog about Joceyln, a young woman who was committed to helping people on the streets. She tirelessly gathered food and clothing donations and handed them out to people at night, plus offered hot lunches in vacant parking lots. But she hit a rough patch and ended up back on the street, living with the people she had been helping. Her children were placed in foster home care. She had to deal with drug and alcohol addiction. She clawed her way up, went through treatment, and is now working, sober, and has a place to live. Best of all, she has her children back.
Her story is not that uncommon. Addiction is a beast, I’m told, although I do not have any firsthand experience with addictions other than cigarettes (and I quit in 1988), but I’ve heard countless stories.
It’s fine to sit in our cozy homes, going about our business, having fun, enjoying retirement because we can. But, especially with the way of the world right now, how far are we from rock bottom? How close are we to being homeless?
According to the 2022-2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) count, 27% of people experiencing homelessness are over the age of 50, and 4% are over the age of 65. Can you believe that?And last year, Statistics Canada reported that 32 percent of people using shelters in 2021 were over the age of 50. In Canada’s largest city, Toronto, 15 per cent of people using shelters in the city were seniors aged 60 and older in 2021. All these percentages are increasing.As I look around my environment and listen to people 50 plus (me included) easily chat about flights, Air BNBs, oceanfront condos, etc., I feel sad. Sad for those who, for various reasons, can’t enjoy the same things. What happened to make their lives so different from mine? Circumstances, I suppose. Luck of the draw.
Despite a lack of research, financial and health challenges seem to be the two most common reasons for addictions and homelessness among seniors. Pensions, if you are lucky to have one, aren’t always that great, and our Old Age Security only goes a little way to make ends meet. If you’re alone, life will be tough. You almost need two people, pooling together pensions and social benefits to put food on the table and keep a roof over your head. There is a lack of affordable and safe housing and a vast gap in available social resources that deal with mental and physical health. Plus, you never know how you will react to a new situation, such as the death of a partner or social isolation.
Addiction can sneak up on a person, even a senior who supposedly has gained some wisdom over the years. But some medications interact with others, increasing the risk of unwanted effects. For example, some natural health products, such as St. John’s Wort, alcohol, or cannabis, don’t always get along with prescribed meds. On top of that, some substances are stronger now than they were back in, let’s say, the 1970s. Dried marijuana apparently has four times more THC than it did back then. Who knew!
I guess when it comes down to it we can only do our best. We need to look after ourselves and while doing that, look after others.
Interesting Reads & Things
https://www.thoughtco.com/fahrenheit-celsius-equivalents-609236
Wanderings Art 