CANADA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
When the Storm Subsides By David Parton —Mobility in Motion PRESIDENT, NMEDA CANADA
W
e recently held what
know the wind’s direction and what it
Canada’s official languages, French
might have been the last
will mean to us.
and English.
conference or gathering
According to Statistics Canada, the
As this pandemic has swept across
baby boomers are reaching their
our world, sadly one of the most
of people in one place for one reason, to be held this year.
golden years. There are now more
heart wrenching aspects has been the
Our topic amongst many was change
people aged 65 and older than there
numbers of dead who got sick while
that was happening at a rapid pace,
are 14 and under.
living in their retirement or long-term
There are numerous health issues with
care home. It has been suggested
and how we were preparing for and adapting to that change, be it in chassis changes, hybrid and electric vehicles, and ways to make them work for the niche clients we serve. Well I think it is safe to say, we never conceived of the change that was about to roll over us turning our world into a trailer park after a twister has blown through. These days of quarantines and staying home to flatten the curve lend themselves to contemplation
this population, but significantly, they as a group wish to live their lives out in the homes they own and cherish. CARP, “The Canadian Association of Retired Persons,” tells me they have significant volumes of members asking them questions on driving aids, accessible vehicles, what is available to allow them to continue to live in their home and community. We are immersed in the industry, and
that if able, families should take their family members out of their care home and take them home to reduce potential exposure to this virus. For many it is too late to do this. Depending upon the needs, there is significant preparation to be done to bring home a person from such a facility. If the destination home is not accessible or readily made so, it represents only a barrier. I was listening to Mark Cuban and he
The Canadian Home Builders
“
Association recently issued their
may be there but they may not know
entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well
they are. We get it, but we speak this
in America today. When this storm
language, we need to assume others
subsides and people come out to find
don’t. This population is very tech
much has changed, they will step up
savvy and they will do their research
and take things in new directions.
and consideration. What comes next? What will be left standing when the pandemic has abated? Will we be standing, or will we be swept away in the same manner as all of the local restaurants and the waitstaff they once employed.
magazine for all their members. The front cover has a topic “Aging In Place,” and the article is titled, “The Comforts of Home.” You ask, what does that have to do with Mobility dealers and NMEDA? When the winds of change are blowing, we need to
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NMEDA Circuit Breaker
often have our own language and our
It is time for fresh thinking, new directions, better planning and results.”
own terms. When a person looks at
was speaking to where America goes
our website seeking answers, they
from here. His position was that the
and homework. We need our web offerings to be easily navigated and our NMEDA website needs to be a wealth of information and in both of
Many have recently seen their investments evaporate, and depending upon where you are in your life cycle, this will either be a
