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. It also demonstrates why caregiver support is becoming more necessary. This data gives us insight into the demand for retirement residences and about how many households have loved ones taking care of one another at home.”
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.
Ragetlie continues, “The fact that some non-metro Census Divisions have almost no people over 85 living in collective dwellings may indicate a lack of facilities in those areas. That might mean that those folks have to leave their network of friends and family to receive the level of care they require.”
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.
Many organizations do not have the capacity to access and analyze Statistics Canada data, so the Rural Ontario Institute commissioned this series to help build understanding of key demographic and economic trends affecting this huge region of the province.
