The reason for this chapter is quite simple.  Everyone has questions of where they will live as they grow older.  What are others doing?   What are my options?  Children wonder how they will help their parents with living arrangements and sometimes spend months or years trying to figure out what they should do.   That's why I included this chapter - Elder care Canada - Housing Arrangements.

The population of those aged 65 or over has more than doubled in the past 35 years, reaching 4.1 million in 2003, close to 13% of the population.

From the Ontario Government's Seniors' Secretariate website (click here) we found the following information:

• Seniors as a percentage of the population will increase over the next several years in Ontario. Between 1971 and 2016, the percentage of seniors in the population is predicted to almost double, from 8.3 % in 1971 to 16.2% in 2016.

• Ontario is home to approximately 1.5 million seniors, that is people aged 65 and over. This is 40 per cent of Canada’s seniors' population. The number of seniors in Ontario and around the world is expected to increase even more rapidly when baby boomers turn 65 beginning in 2011. In 2041, it is estimated that 23 per cent of Ontario's population will be older than 65.

A Stats Canada Paper ("Living at home or in an institution: What makes the difference for seniors?" - read the full 13 page paper by clicking here) says that in 1995 just one percent of the Canadian population lived in long-term health care facilities.  The paper goes on to suggest that the number of beds required in long-term health care facilities could rise from the 184,000 required in 1996/97 to almost 746,000 in 2031.

That means a lot of competition for housing arrangements over the coming years.  What kind of Housing Arrangements are YOU planning in the years to come?

When you look at the statistics below you can see that there are almost 4 million seniors over the age of 65.   Although a good majority live with a spouse or partner, almost 15% of seniors were living at health care institutions in 2001.   Those numbers are staggering when you break it down.  Over 80,000 male seniors and over 200,000 thousand female seniors lived in health care institutions in 2001.   As we discussed above, the number of seniors are expected to grow dramatically in the years ahead and competition for living arrangements will be even tougher than they are now.  That is why it is important to start planning today for your needs in the future!

Sex        Age Group    Living Alone     Living with      Living with      Living in Health    Other Living      Total

                                                      Spouse/Partner     Children      Care Institution     Arrangements

Males         65+                 16                  61.4                13.3                   4.9                      4.4           1,666,400

Females     65+                  34.8               35.4                12.1                   9.2                      8.4           2,224,395

So, how do you know when the Senior in your life has to consider alternative living arrangements? Here are the top ten signs in order of seriousness that a senior may require a change:

• Less active lifestyle and tendency to stay at home
• Exterior of home is less well maintained than historically
• Change in communication quality or frequency
• Fewer invites to their home or a change in visit patterns
• Unopened bills and other mail
• Unkempt home and laundry or dishes piling up
• Unexplained weight loss
• Blackened pots or other damage to environment
• Bruises or other signs of trauma from falls or difficulty navigating around the house
• And the number one sign:  If you're experiencing concern for their well-being, they probably need help.

OK, either you yourself or a loved one has decided that the time has come to seriously look at alternative housing.  As stated above, there are a number of different arrangements available.  But that becomes a problem ... not just in the kinds of arrangement, but also how to access them.  Seeing to your obligations to your parents doesn’t necessarily mean that all of you might have to disorganize your lives to personally tend to your parents’ care. If you don’t think your parents would be hurt with such a decision, you could consider hiring a caregiver or relocate your parents to a one of the alternatives explained below.   Keep in mind, however, that some parents feel they’re being abandoned and neglected when their children choose to send them to a "home".

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hiring a Caregiver

• Pros - You can employ a live-in caregiver for your parents and ensure that all their needs are fully met at whatever time of the day. A caregiver is also equipped to handle a lot of medical and nursing tasks that you may not be presently capable of.
• Cons – Having a caregiver can be costly, depending on the wages being asked. Entrusting the lives of your parents to a total stranger is also a big decision to make, especially when it turns out that the caregiver you’ve hired is irresponsible and/or negligent.

Home Adaptations for Seniors' Independence (HASI)  - This program (Click Here) helps homeowners and landlords pay for minor home adaptations to extend the time low-income seniors can live in their own homes independently.  Homeowners and landlords may qualify for a forgivable loan of up to $3,500 as long as the occupant of the dwelling where the adaptations will be made meets the following eligibility criteria:

• is 65 and over;
• has difficulty with daily living activities brought on by ageing;
• total household income is at or below a specified limit for your area;
• dwelling unit is a permanent residence.

Senior's Housing - According to the Statistics Canada 2001 Census, 9.2% of senior women and 4.9% of senior men, or approximately 287,000 seniors aged 65 and over lived in health care institutions (long term care facilities).  There are basically 3 types of residential settings provide both accommodation and care for seniors and each setting offers different types of accommodations and varying levels of service. Assess your personal situation and compare your needs with the amenities and services offered by each setting.