Zoomer Week in Review

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has delivered a blunt message for Canadians wanting to head south - If you get stuck in the US or elsewhere, Canada won't help you get home. But a growing number of Zoomers are ignoring his advice now that they can get vaccinations in Florida. Travel Insurance broker Marty Firestone’s phone has been ringing off the hook with Snowbirds changing their minds about making the trip.

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If there is anything we are learning from the pandemic, it is the urgent need to reform homecare so that most of us can age in place and stay out of nursing homes. Libby Znaimer talked to Andre Picard, the Globe and Mail’s award winning health columnist , when he was part of a panel on a special edition of the Zoomer, on our sister station VisionTV.

You watch the special homecare edition of the Zoomer Monday Jan. 11 at 11 PM Channel 60 on Rogers 261 on Bell satellite TV.

What are your resolutions for 2021? Do they include the usual ones? Eating better, exercising more, or keeping up your physical fitness regime? A lot of Canadians walked more than they probably ever have in the past year but if you’re stuck in making resolutions Bob Komsic spoke to University of Regina psychology professor Katherine Arbuthnott and began by asking just how difficult is it to make for THIS year.

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Have you decided when to start collecting your Canada Pension Plan? A thousand Canadians make that decision every day and most start taking CPP early at the age of 60. But if you can afford it, delaying until age 70 means an extra hundred-thousand-dollars over the course of your retirement. Libby Znaimer spoke to actuary Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald, who crunched the numbers in a paper for Ryerson University’s National Institute on Ageing.

There’s less than a week left to make a tax deductible charitable donation for 2020. Normally nearly two thirds of Canadians would be scrambling to get those contributions in before the deadline. But pandemic financial pressure means fewer people will be donating and those who are able to give will give less. Libby talked with Bruce Macdonald, CEO of Imagine Canada, about a survey on the state of our giving.

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Are you looking forward to enjoying a meal out? It’s a simple pleasure that many of us took for granted before Covid-19. But with many places forced to close up for good, what will the post-vaccine, post-pandemic restaurants look like? Libby talked with food writer Corey Mintz.

Are you still debating your holiday plans even though most of the authorities are recommending that we celebrate with our own households only? There’s an online questionnaire to assess your risk depending on your answers to a whole raft of questions. Leading gerontologist, Dr. Samir Sinha, designed the tool called "My Covid Visit Risk" for Ryerson University's National Institute on Ageing.

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This Christmas, big family gatherings are out...so what do you do about the big festive Christmas meal that is so much a part of the holiday, the tradition, and family history? Libby gets some ideas from food columnist, editor, and cookbook author Lucy Waverman.

A quarter of Canadians over 65 are caregivers and it's no surprise that the pandemic has been especially hard on them. With less outside help, they are spending more time and money on their loved ones, making it much more difficult to manage. Libby talked with Amy Coupal of the Ontario Caregiver Association about the group’s latest spotlight survey.

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Have you ever heard of Pitseolak Asuna or Robertine Barry? They are two of eight short-listed candidates to be the face of our new five dollar bill. Public opinion polls show that Terry Fox is the popular favourite but that may not be a deciding factor in who gets to replace Louis St. Laurent, our 12th Prime Minister. Bank of Canada spokesperson Amelie Ferron Craig filled Libby in.

This week, the Trudeau government announced a 1.5-billion dollar Safe LTC Fund. Advocates worry that there aren’t enough strings attached to the money to ensure that the provinces will do the right things to protect vulnerable residents now. Libby Znaimer talked with Minister of Seniors Deb Schulte.

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The stress of the pandemic is making things worse for many people suffering from conditions like chronic pain, arthritis and fibromyalgia. Medical cannabis may be the answer. Libby Znaimer reached Dr. Arash Taghvai, Apollo Cannabis Clinics Manager of Clinical Affairs.

For more than a year, Toronto City Councillor Jaye Robinson has been sidelined by a gruelling and lengthy treatment for a complicated case of breast cancer. She went through most of it at the height of the pandemic. Libby Znaimer talked with Jaye about her experience after she returned to her first council meeting this week.

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There’s no question that the pandemic has disrupted the spectrum of cancer care, delaying diagnoses and treatment for many patients, and halting some clinical trials. And although healthcare systems have been reorganizing to meet the challenge, it’s also made things much harder for the doctors provisioning care. Libby talked with Dr. Sharlene Gill, a BC Medical Oncologist, and President Elect of the Canadian Association of Medical Oncologists.

"What About Black Lives?" is the the new single from Dan Hill's first album in 11 years. It's been about 4 years since we talked to the award-winning singer-songwriter, as he took time out to deal with personal and mental health issues. It was a pleasure to chat with him again.

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This week there was great news about the promising results of two potential Covid-19 vaccines. The federal government has purchased millions of doses of both the Pfizer and the Moderna versions, which have yet to be approved. In addition to the logistics which have to be sorted out, there are big ethical questions to answer, about who will get vaccinated first. Libby talked with Dr. Alison Thompson, a university of Toronto bioethicist, who is advising the province.

This week began with the good news that Pfizer and its partner, the German company, BioNTech, have a vaccine that is 90% effective, at least according to preliminary results. How good is that news and what will it take to vaccinate Canadians. Libby Znaimer reached Dr. Jillian Kohler, professor at the University of Toronto's Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

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This year's Scotiabank Giller Prize winning book, "How To Pronounce Knife" is part of a long tradition of Canadian literature about the immigrant experience. Author Souvankham Thammavongsa was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and arrived with her parents at the age of one. Libby chatted with her after she won the $100,000 prize.

Either the 74-year old Donald Trump, or Joe Biden, who turns 78 on Nov. 20, will break the record for oldest president ever inaugurated. There have been questions about both their mental states, but both have come through grueling campaigns. Will this change society's view of aging? Libby Znaimer reached Brent Green, an American expert in demographics and generational marketing.

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This holiday giving season presents the perfect storm for frontline charities. The pandemic is causing a huge drop in donations along with a massive increase in demand. Charity intelligence is out with its annual top 100 ratings to help you make sure to get the biggest impact from the dollars we donate. Libby talked with managing director Kate Bahen.