There is a rural divide even to seniors more than 85
years old.
They are more likely than their city counterparts to
live alone in their home. This is especially true for women; older men tend to have a spouse or partner sharing the home.
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,” he says.
“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.”
The three fact sheets show the breakdown of population
more than 85 years old who live in collective dwellings (nursing homes,
residences for senior citizens or chronic and long-term care hospitals)
compared with those living in private dwellings.
The fact that some non-metro Statistics Canada census
divisions have almost no people more than 85 living in collective dwellings may
indicate a lack of facilities in those areas,” says Ragetlie.
“That might mean that those folks have to leave their
network of friends and family to receive the level of care they require,” he
says.
