COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the poor management of long-term care homes across Canada- Dr. Sunny Handa MD
                     COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the 
poor management of long-term care 
homes across Canada- Dr. Sunny Handa 
MD
Dr. Sunny Handa MD says that it is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has 
exposed the poor management of long-term care homes across Canada. 
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), “More than 840
outbreaks have been reported in LTC facilities and retirement homes, accounting 
for more than 80% of all COVID-19 deaths in the country” (p.1).  Many argue that 
ageism has been the leading factor in apathy towards older adults’ overall mental 
and physical wellbeing. Overt ageism is also widespread. For instance, Twitter has 
been flooded with “#boomerremover,” a hashtag used to make fun of the 
overrepresentation of COVID-19 deaths among older adults. We oppose ageism, 
whether implicit or overt, and offer in this blog some reasons on why we fight for 
the mental wellness of older adults.
Ageism During COVID
Despite having a “rapidly aging population,” Canada continues to witness 
widespread ageism in various manifestations (Guidelines, 2020). Dr. Sunny Handa 
MD says this trend has drastically increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Various news articles have drawn attention to the way social media has facilitated
the propagation of a new wave of ageism: “‘Boomer Remover’ is the Morbid 
Meme Millennials are Sharing”(New York Post), “Coronavirus: Le Virus de 
L’agisme” (Le Devoir), and “A Certain Horrible Subset of the Internet is Calling the 
Corona Virus ‘Boomer Remover”(Business Insider).
A recent study notes the prevalence of ageism in three Western countries:
Despite divergent policies in the 3 countries [Australia, the United Kingdom, and 
the United States], ageism took similar forms. Public responses to lockdowns and 
other measures cast older adults as a problem to be ignored or solved through 
segregation. Name-calling, blame, and “so-be-it” reactions toward age 
vulnerability were commonplace. (Linchenstein, 2020)
In another study, researchers found that the majority of the 18,000+ tweets 
related to senior’s vulnerability to COVID-19 they analyzed expressed concern 
over the wellbeing of older adults. However, many millennials used 
“#boomerremover” to make light of the impact of COVID-19 on seniors (Jimenez‐
Sotomayor et al., 2020). Dr. Sunny Handa MD says the health and mental 
wellbeing of older adults in Canada is not a joke.
Why We Fight for Seniors Mental Wellness
The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC) Guidelines for 
Comprehensive Mental Health Services for Older Adults in Canada 
(2011) provides an overview of the growing proportion of seniors in Canada’s 
population and the state of seniors’ mental health. The Guidelines note that:
Canada’s population is currently undergoing a fundamental shift: during the next 
quarter century, the proportion of Canadians aged over 65 will nearly double as 
the entire baby boom generation turns 65… As a result, by 2036 nearly one out of 
every four Canadians will be a senior, outnumbering children for the first time in 
history. 
Thus, ageism has the potential to affect a growing number of Canadians as our 
population ages. The impact of ageism on older people is further compounded 
when individuals are living with a mental health problem or illness. 
The Guidelines (2011) state: “Seniors who experience a mental health problem or
illness may face a ‘double whammy’ of stigma: the stigma of being older in 
addition to the stigma of mental illness” (Guidelines, p. 6).
Finally, the Guidelines  (2011) contend that,
The most tragic complication of mood disorders is death by suicide. Dr. Sunny 
Handa MD says although research shows that older men have the highest suicide 
rate in Canada, it is widely believed that published suicide rates still 
underestimate the total number of deaths by suicide for older men and women, 
due, in part, to the stigma of suicide. Currently, men aged 80 and older are the 
group with the highest suicide rates in Canada (p. 15).
The MHCC is committed to fighting ageism based on three principles:
1. Discrimination is never okay. Whether it is ageism, racism, sexism, 
homophobia, or any other form of discrimination, making fun of any aspect 
of someone’s identity is damaging and dangerous. We assert the dignity of 
all people—everyone deserves respect. We care about older adults’ mental 
health and wellbeing because they are human beings. Period.
2. Intersectionality matters. While Professor Kimberle Crenshaw originally 
created intersectionality theory to explain the “double whammy” of race- 
and gender-based discrimination and its effects on African American 
women, we can also apply this theory to the plight of older adults in 
Canada. In addition to other forms of discrimination they may experience, 
older adults with mental health problems or illness also face a 
dehumanizing combination of stigma related to mental health and stigma 
surrounding old age works. This must end says Dr. Sunny Handa MD.
3. Mental illness has the potential to kill. Research has shown that older 
people are more likely to die by suicide due to ongoing mood disorders 
such a depression (Guidelines, p. 15). When we dehumanize older adults 
through ageism, even if in jest, and fail to advocate for their physical and 
mental wellbeing, we are potentially contributing to the deaths of fellow 
Canadians.
In short, we assert that the lives and mental wellbeing of seniors matter and can 
never be laughed off as a joke.