Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Canada is an aging society. The number of people aged
sixty-five and over is rising, while the number of people under
twenty is declining. These two concurrent changes in the age
structure have produced a sh~ft in the demographic composition
of Canada which is commonly referred to as the aging phenomenon.
Regardless of whether or not the number of people under
twenty continues to decline, the number of elderly in Canada
will almost double over the next twenty years. This rapidly
growing elderly clientele will doubtless have an impact on
Canadian governments. Federal, provincial and municipal
governments are presently providing a variety of programs that
have a special bearing on the aged and most senior citizens are
beneficiaries of one or more of these programs. The
ramifications of a rapidly growing elderly clientele are
obvious.
In order to cope with the impact of a significant
increase in the number of elderly persons, the development and
implementation of aging policy must be co-ordinated at each
level of government and between and among levels of government.
If aging policy is not co-ordinated, the results are likely to
be: inappropriate policy decisions; duplication and overlap;
and, ineffective and irresponsive services. No one benefits
from these results. The need for co-ordination is apparent.
The purpose of this thesis is to examine existing
governmental efforts to co-ordinate policy in the field of
aging. These efforts are examined by focusing on interactions
directed at co-ordination between and among major actors in
aging policy. A framework is used to structure the description
and analysis of these interactions. The variables of
formalisation and intensity and the concept of power are
instrumental in analysing interactions for co-ordination. The
underlying intent of this thesis is to discover some of the
main gaps in existing governmental efforts to co~ordinate aging
policy.
Gaps are, in fact, discovered. Several explanations
for the existence of gaps in interactions for co-ordination are
discussed. A major hypothesis involving a relationship between
a bureaucratic form of organisation and interactions for coordination
is suggested. Finally, three recommendations for
improving co-ordination in aging policy are offered.
