A new set of Focus on Rural Ontario fact sheets show that the majority of seniors in non-metro Ontario over 85 years of age live in private dwellings.
Norman Ragetlie, director of policy and stakeholder engagement at the Rural Ontario Institute says, “Tracking how the elderly choose to live is important as Canadians live longer and the proportion of the Ontario rural population that is elderly grows. The number of elderly people living independently affects the demand for home support services in rural communities, such as home care, meal delivery services and transportation assistance.”
These three fact sheets show the breakdown of population over 85 years old living in collective dwellings (nursing homes, residences for senior citizens or chronic and long-term care hospitals) compared to those living in private dwellings.
Within the population 85 years of age and over, the statistics show that a higher share of men live in private dwellings and are more likely to be living with a spouse or common-law partner. The women in this age group that live in a private dwelling are more likely to be living alone.
Focus on Rural Ontario fact sheets are based on Statistics Canada data and are part of a series that profile key facts and figures on population change, immigration/migration patterns, youth employment and economic trends. All Focus on Rural Ontario fact sheets are available for download at: ruralontarioinstitute.ca/focus-on-rural-ontario.
