The Care Home Dilemma

Commentary Canada’s rapidly changing demography is daunting. The number of people over 65 increased from 3,888,550 in 2001 to 7,021,430 in 2021, an increase of 81 percent. Over the same 20-year period, the Canadian population increased by 23 percent, from 30,007,090 to 36,991,980. At present, people over 65 represent almost one in five Canadians. The sector most affected by this demographic shift is the health-care system, which is already under considerable pressure. Another important trend is also affecting the health-care system. Increasingly, fewer children and grandchildren of older Canadians are living in the same communities as their parents and grandparents. This means that fewer relatives can attend to their increasingly pressing needs....