Healthy aging: Safe and supportive care for older adults
Giving older adults the support they need to age with dignity is a measure of a country’s compassion and respect for its seniors, as well as its ability to meet its population’s needs. Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments have identified aging with dignity as a shared health priority. The goal is to help Canadians live their later years with autonomy and respect, either at home with community supports or in a safe long-term care facility, if needed.Reference1
Many factors make this area a priority across Canada:
- Older adults (age 65+) are one of the fastest-growing demographics in Canada.Reference2
- Almost all Canadians (91%) want to age at home for as long as possible.Reference3
- As health needs become more complex, some people require 24/7 support in long-term care; this sector needs to adapt to manage increasing demand.
- The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the long-term care sector’s struggles with infection prevention and control, staff shortages and outdated equipment.Reference4 While efforts are being made to address these challenges, they are still a work in progress.
Data is crucial to understanding the need of Canada’s older adults for home care and safe long-term care, and to guide planning to ensure that appropriate options are available to them.
Indicators to measure this priority
CIHI and its partners (including the federal, provincial and territorial governments and experts from across the country) are working to select and develop indicators on the long-term care sector and personal support workers (PSWs), who make up the largest staff group in that sector. Public reporting is set to begin in 2025. These new measures will complement existing indicators that measure whether Canadians can get the home and community care they need to age at or close to home.
Over time, these indicators will give Canadians a clearer picture of the care that older people need, where they face gaps in services and what needs to change to better support them as they age.
Related resources
References
1.
Government of Canada. Working together to improve health care in Canada: Aging with Dignity bilateral agreements. Accessed July 23, 2024.
2.
Statistics Canada. In the midst of high job vacancies and historically low unemployment, Canada faces record retirements from an aging labour force: Number of seniors aged 65 and older grows six times faster than children 0–14. Accessed July 23, 2024.
3.
National Institute on Aging. Almost 100 per cent of older Canadians surveyed plan to live independently in their own homes, but is this even possible?. Accessed July 23, 2024.
4.
Government of Canada. Development of a federal Safe Long-Term Care Act: Discussion paper. Accessed July 23, 2024.
How to cite:
Canadian Institute for Health Information. Healthy aging: Safe and supportive care for older adults. Accessed April 24, 2025.
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