Seniors

Alberta’s flu season deadliest in recent memory as experts call for action

250 Albertans have died due to influenza as vaccination rates remain low. Alberta is reporting 250 flu deaths so far this season. Last year there were 236 influenza deaths. David Bajer/CBC Jennifer Lee, CBC News Calgary Mar 02, 2026 … READ MORE

Alberta may be on track for deadliest flu season on record, health experts warn

197 Albertans have died due to influenza so far this season. Provincial data shows 197 Albertans have died due to influenza so far this season. About 20 per cent of Albertans have received a flu shot. CBC Jennifer Lee, CBC News … READ MORE

New online portal lets families search assisted living vacancies in Alberta

Interactive map shows available spots, amenities and costs. The Alberta government says a new online portal will make it easier to find what spots are available in nearby assisted living care centres. Roger Cosman/CBC CBC News Calgary … READ MORE

UCP pilot projects at Edmonton’s Royal Alex hospital yet to cure jammed ERs, doctors say

“The front line has not noticed any dramatic differences because these pilot projects, as they like to label them, are really just glorified experiments.” A sign points the way to the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s … READ MORE

Alberta orders fatality inquiry into death of man at Edmonton emergency room

Albertans will get an update Thursday on the state of the province’s acute care system, as frontline doctors continue to declare that provincial hospitals are dangerously overcrowded. Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical … READ MORE

Disability pension changes won’t impact veterans: Finance minister

Changes will only impact RCMP members, according to the government. Canadian war veterans march in a parade to a Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on Tuesday. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick David Thurton, CBC News Politics Nov … READ MORE

Alberta needs to call state of emergency over crowded hospitals, physicians say

Declaration would allow province to rapidly mobilize resources: expert. An undated file photo of a hospital bed. CBC Julia Wong, CBC News Edmonton Jan 08, 2026 The situation in Alberta hospitals is so dire that the province needs to … READ MORE

Calgary emergency wards coping with ‘extreme overcapacity’ in flu season: AHS memo

Hospital leaders tighten admission policies as virus surge strains staff. According to a memo sent Friday to Calgary acute care doctors, issues connected to overcapacity in emergency rooms are ‘expected to worsen.’ CBC … READ MORE

This year’s flu is packing a punch. How hospitals are trying to deal with surging cases

Some jurisdictions are opening extra beds, others are asking health-care providers to work extra hours. Flu season is hitting children hard, sending a flood of young patients to hospitals. CHEO, eastern Ontario’s … READ MORE

Flu cases soar as Alberta health officials work to relieve pressure on hospitals

Province says hospitalization peak likely to hit in early to mid-January. The South Health Campus adult acute care hospital in Calgary. According to the province, as of Thursday there were 650 Albertans in hospital due to the flu. … READ MORE

COVID-19 cases, vaccine campaigns helped prompt mask mandate’s return, doctor says

Mask mandate comes into effect on Monday. Dr. Natalie Bridger, an infectious disease specialist with Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, says the mask mandate is meant to prevent the spread of viruses. Mark Quinn/CBC Elizabeth … READ MORE

Holiday precautions to spread cheer, not germs

Influenza cases rising across Canada. A doctor examines a patient with flu-like symptoms at Elmhurst Hospital in New York City in December 2003. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Amina Zafar, CBC News Health Dec 10, 2025 Health officials are … READ MORE

Alberta emergency rooms hit with wave of influenza patients

AHS says extra beds added as hospitals face high demand around the province. Alberta Children’s Hospital is dealing with a wave of children sick with influenza. Alberta Health Services says hospitals around the province are … READ MORE

Children’s hospitals in Canada face flood of flu visits as doctors urge families to get vaccinated

High volumes put strain on limited pediatric hospital capacity, with flu season set to peak later this month. At CHEO, eastern Ontario’s children’s hospital in Ottawa, eight times more children tested positive for … READ MORE

Doctors urge vaccination as influenza upswing hits Alberta

Flu positivity rates, hospitalizations rise amid concerns about mismatched variant. Alberta’s flu positivity rate more than tripled to 11.5 per cent during the second week of November, from 3.4 per cent two weeks earlier. David … READ MORE

Older adults can bounce back to thriving health, study finds

Older age is not all about decline, it can also be a time when people can get healthier and stronger according to research by Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work researchers Mabel Ho and Esme Fuller-Thomson. Kampus Production from … READ MORE

Canada could face ‘worst kind’ of flu season as experts warn evolving strain may be mismatch for vaccine

Alarm bells abroad, spread of a new form of H3N2 provide warnings as influenza cases start ticking up. A colourized transmission electron microscope image of the influenza A H3N2 virus from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and … READ MORE

Alberta parents still struggling to book COVID shots for kids as doctors raise alarm about access

Alberta Medical Association estimates each COVID hospitalization costs the health system more than $34,000. Parents have to call Health Link to book COVID-19 vaccines for children under 12. But the health information line has been … READ MORE

COVID cases starting to climb across parts of Canada

Consistent end-of-summer trend has doctors recommending precautions like vaccination, staying home sick A bottle containing wastewater sits in a lab at the University of Guelph as part of surveillance for respiratory pathogens. … READ MORE

Addressing fear in Alberta’s Mennonite community amid a measles outbreak

Past experiences have led to health-care hesitancy for many Low German-speaking Mennonites. Tina Meggison, right, and Nely Penner, community health reps for the Low German Mennonite community in southern Alberta, are seen with signs … READ MORE

‘Not enough’: Experts say maximum AISH benefit still puts recipients below poverty line

Alberta’s income support program for people with a disability is below the poverty line and not providing Albertans with a living wage, experts said. Community, Seniors and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon. Photo by Greg … READ MORE

AISH caseloads have ballooned over the past decade. What’s driving that?

Albertans receiving Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped up 57% The steady rise in people receiving benefits through the province’s Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program hit 75,554 in October. CBC Elise … READ MORE

AISH recipients form grassroots group to raise awareness, dispel myths around the program

“We’re fighting to be recognized as autonomous human beings that deserve dignity,” advocate says. Janet Nass and Thomas Cheesman are two members of the newly formed group, AISH Recipients In Search of Equity (ARISE). … READ MORE

Why are these scientists teaching seniors how to fall?

Rather than focus on avoiding tumbles, researchers at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute are using high-tech, hands-on trials to teach how to fall. Cathrin Bradbury walks on sensor plates in the reactive balance training room at the … READ MORE

96-year-old runner breaks W95+ world record at Ottawa 5K

Rejeanne Fairhead, 96, is getting faster with age. She finished in 51:09, smashing her previous 5K best by seven minutes. Photo Courtesy Perley Health/Julie Ireton Marley Dickinson, Canadian Running Magazine May 27, 2023 Canada’s … READ MORE

Algorithm measures quality of gait through smart watches

The Watch Walk algorithm could help reduce falls and fall-related injuries in elderly people, study shows. Participants aged 46 to 77 were instructed to wear a device on their dominant wrists for seven days. Photo by SHVETS … READ MORE

Winnipeg sprinter Lightning Lou dies at 99

Lou Billinkoff started running at 89, and became fastest 95-year-old in country. Lou Billinkoff started running at 89 years old after suffering a mild heart attack. Courtesy Errol Billinkoff. CBC News Manitoba March 15, 2023 Lou … READ MORE

Tips on how to prevent dementia as we grow older

Aging is inevitable, but there are ways to improve our ‘health span’ and prevent dementia. Aging Well: Avoiding Dementia. Dr. Howard Chertkow offers 15 pieces of advice that we can all follow to reduce our risk of dementia. The … READ MORE

Walking 10K steps a day is a health sweet spot, study finds — and walking faster is even better

Walking can reduce risks of dementia, cancer and heart disease — and any number of steps is better than none. By studying people wearing fitness trackers, researchers have determined that walking 10,000 steps each day is indeed a … READ MORE

Alberta government to re-index AISH, seniors benefits to inflation

People like Mary Salvani, who rely on AISH benefits to cover their basic expenses, have had their benefits frozen for the past three years while the cost of living rose substantially. Monty Kruger CBC

Critics say the move won’t help people living in poverty catch up with rising costs. People like Mary Salvani, who rely on AISH benefits to cover their basic expenses, have had their benefits frozen for the past three years … READ MORE

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