Relevant StatisticsAugust 2002
DID YOU KNOW? The demand for senior housing and care services is going to continue to increase in the years ahead and people are going to need advice and guidance.
- According to Statscan, the 80+ age group has expanded by more than 40% in the last five years and will likely grow by another 43% in the next 5 years - with 1.3 million people over 80 by the year 2011.*
- There are currently 238,000 Canadians over age 65 with Alzheimer Disease (AD). By 2031, over 750,000 Canadians will have AD or a related dementia. Usually a close relative shoulders the caregiver responsibilities, with over 70% of informal caregivers being women (wives or daughters) - and 30% are employed.**
- According to the 2001 Statscan Census, suburban communities are also aging as younger generations move to urban centres. This distance adds to the challenge of caring for aging and ailing parents who still live in the suburbs (e.g., their "hometown").
- Experts say an increasing number of Canadians will work past age 65. Managing the work-life balance will be increasingly difficult for many people who must also care for aging and ailing parents/spouses/relatives.
(Sources: *Stascan 2001 Census; **Alzheimer Association of Canada -- Canadian Study of Health and Aging Working Group: Canadian Study of Health and Aging: study methods and prevalence of dementia. Can Med Assoc J 1994; 150: 899-913. And personal communication, CSHA; Hux, M. et al. Relation between severity of Alzheimer disease and costs of caring. CMAJ 1998; 159 (5) |