Environment Scan on Canadian Seniors’ Transitions to Special Care Facilities

Released by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the research report Environment Scan on Canadian Seniors' Transitions to Special Care Facilities provides a comprehensive picture on how and why Canadian seniors move to long-term care facilities.  To write the report, CMHC conducted a thorough literature review of best available evidence and compiled and analyzed Statistics Canada data on senior's housing transitions.

Some key points from their findings:

·         Approximately 7.9% of Canadian seniors live in a special care facility

·         Quebec had the largest proportion of seniors living a long-term care facility at 9%

·         Health concerns is the most common reason why a senior moves to a special care facility

·         The move from a private dwelling to a special care facility often takes place between the age of 80-85

·         There are three kinds of moves seniors will often make

o   The first move is undertaken right after retirement and is primarily for amenity or lifestyle reasons

o   The second move is done to be near a primary caregiver when the senior becomes moderately disabled

o   The third move is to an institution when a senior's needs are too much for the caregiver to handle