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Older Adult Plan Background Research: Setting the Stage |
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Older Adult Plan Background Research: Setting the Stage |
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Table
of Contents
Older
adults in Ottawa: Key facts and trends
Quick facts about Ottawa seniors
The population is aging rapidly
The older population is diverse
The majority of Ottawa seniors are
financially secure
The next generation of older adults will be
different
City of Ottawa: Serving older adults
Corporate
older adults portfolio
Service delivery areas: How the City of
Ottawa is serving older adults
1. Outdoor spaces and buildings
4. Social and recreational participation
5. Civic participation,
volunteerism, and employment
8. Communication and information
Towards
an older adult strategy and action plan
Introduction
Older adults represent a vibrant and vital segment of the
Ottawa population. Most seniors
experience a high quality of life and are active and integral members of our
community. They provide unpaid help to families and friends,
volunteer groups and various causes. They
are engaged socially as well as in the political arena. Their taxes and purchasing power strengthen
the Ottawa economy.
In short, the
contributions that older adults make to the overall well-being of our community
are significant. However, some seniors continue to face
unique barriers and challenges to inclusion and active aging.[1]
Ottawa seniors’ population is increasing dramatically. In the next 20 years, the number
of seniors will more than double.
By
2031, it is predicted that seniors will make up 22% of the Ottawa population. This means that more than one in five residents
will be over the age of 65.
Dramatic change comes with great opportunity. Our city can prepare for the phenomenon of
population aging to make sure that it is embraced in a way that enriches our community. Proactive and purposeful planning will ensure
that the infrastructure, programs and services meet the changing needs of this
growing segment of the population. Moreover,
an age-friendly city is a city that is friendlier to all ages. The time to act is now.
In 2009, City Council approved a motion to refine and refresh the City’s
Seniors Strategy and develop a comprehensive action plan moving forward. The Older Adult Plan project will assist Council, management, and staff to better understand issues
related to older adults and to facilitate informed planning decision-making
around services for Ottawa’s older adults now and into the future.
This project began with thorough
background research (Phase I). This discussion
paper summarizes the findings of the research phase and sets the stage for the following
phases, involving community consultations and the development of an older adult
plan.[2] The information presented in this document is by no means exhaustive and
the reader is invited to refer to a number of reference documents that were
prepared during the research phase.[3]
The document begins by providing more information
about the Older Adult Plan project. The
next sections introduce the broader community context, a summary of the key
facts and trends about the Ottawa seniors’ population, and a look at how the
City of Ottawa is currently serving this population. Following
a discussion section, the document concludes by offering some thoughts on the
development of a city-wide strategy and action plan moving forward.
In 2005, the City of
Ottawa began looking at the needs and expectations of seniors through the Seniors’ Agenda initiative.
At the time, a community consultation involving 300 residents identified
three priorities: housing (including developing the ability for seniors to
remain independent in their homes and in their communities), transportation and
mobility, and communication. Several
successful initiatives were then undertaken under each of these priorities,
many through partnerships with various community agencies. The Seniors’ Agenda
officially wrapped up in 2007 and responsibilities were transitioned to
relevant departments and corporate-wide coordination was transitioned to the
Organizational Development and Performance Department.
On October 14, 2009, Ottawa City
Council approved a motion from the Community and Protective Services Committee,
originally submitted by the Seniors Advisory Committee, to refine and refresh
the Seniors’ Strategy and create a comprehensive and
forward-looking Older Adult Plan for the City of Ottawa:
1. That the Organization Development and
Performance (ODP) Department work with the Seniors Advisory Committee, City
Departments and Community Partners to refine and refresh a Seniors Strategy and
action plan development;
2. That the investigation
done to refine and refresh a Seniors Strategy include income data to
compare the seniors data with that of other age groups;
3. That ODP include any
requirement for external consulting services in its 2010 budget estimates; and,
4. That
the review also consider the first recommendation from the Seniors Advisory
Committee to undertake a formal
initiative to develop a comprehensive Ottawa Older Adult Plan to include
service delivery, organization and management, partnerships with agencies and
governments, volunteer support, financial incentives and subsidies, and
accessibility among other issues.
The scope for the project is
limited to infrastructure, policies, and programs and services that are within
the responsibility of the City of Ottawa.
Three project phases were identified at the onset of the project: 1) Background
research and environmental scan; 2) Engagement and consultation with older
adults; and 3) Development of an action plan.[4]
The purpose of the background
research was to enhance
corporate understanding of the current - as
well as future - characteristics and trends pertaining to the older population
in Ottawa, identify organizational and service delivery strengths as well as
potential gaps, and identify opportunities moving forward.
The
following activities were undertaken during the research phase: a review of the
literature and the work of other municipalities; a scan of key community-based
priorities and initiatives; demographic
and socio-economic profiling of the Ottawa older adult population (including
population projections to 2031), an internal review of how the City is
currently organized to serve older adults, a scan of community priorities and
initiatives related to the older adult population, and a review of previous
consultations with Ottawa’s older adults.
The
City of Ottawa plays a significant role in providing services to the older
population in key areas like transportation, housing, and recreation and
learning. However, addressing the needs
and priorities of the aging population is not solely the responsibility of the
City of Ottawa. It was therefore
important to take a look at the roles and priorities of the other community
players that serve seniors in order to better situate the City’s older adult
plan efforts.
This
was accomplished through individual meetings with several community agencies
and organizations. In addition to
increasing our knowledge about – and establishing relationships with -
community-based organizations, the exercise highlighted a number key service
delivery priorities and trends that are of significance to the City of
Ottawa. Two are presented below.
Age Friendly Cities - Age Friendly
Ottawa
In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) spearheaded
the Age-friendly Cities project to identify the key elements of the urban environment that support
healthy and active aging.[5] The project used focus groups to consult with
older persons - as well as community leaders and experts in 33 cities and 22
countries. Four Canadian cities were
involved: Saanich, British Columbia; Portage La Prairie,
Manitoba; Sherbrooke, Quebec; and Halifax, Nova
Scotia.
The focus was on the "lived" experience of
older people (what seniors experience as age-friendly in their daily lives in
the community) and involved them as full partners from start to finish. The result of that project was the Global Age-friendly Cities Guide (2007)
which outlines
a framework for assessing the “age-friendliness” of a city and can be used by
urban communities to stimulate and guide advocacy,
community development and policy change towards age-friendliness.
The following cycle towards age-friendliness is promoted by
the WHO: 1) Develop a baseline assessment of the age-friendliness of the city
(through public consultation sessions with older adults, caregivers, service
providers, private businesses, and youth); 2) Develop a city-wide action plan
based on the findings of the assessment; 3) Take action and monitor
accomplishments on the priorities. Furthermore,
eight key domains of active aging should be examined:
1. Outdoor spaces and public buildings
2. Transportation
3. Housing
4. Respect and social inclusion
5. Social participation
6. Communication and information
7. Civic participation and employment
8. Community support and health services
The
Age Friendly model is gaining international attention and momentum and is being
adopted in cities throughout Canada and the world. In Ottawa, the Council on Aging is leading
the Age Friendly Ottawa initiative, which aims to make Ottawa an age-friendly
city according to the guidelines developed by the World Health
Organization.
The
three-year initiative is supported by a steering committee which includes
representatives from the Council on Aging, City of Ottawa, Public Health Agency
of Canada, University of Ottawa, United Way as well as other senior-serving
community organizations. Funding
commitments were secured from the Community Foundation of Ottawa, New Horizons
for Seniors and the Trillium Foundation. Age Friendly Ottawa is currently poised to begin
the first step of the age-friendly cycle, namely consultations with Ottawa
seniors.
The Age Friendly Ottawa initiative,
and the framework on which it is based, is very relevant to the City of
Ottawa’s Older Adult Plan project. Both
initiatives are mutually supportive in their goal of proposing changes that
will enhance active and healthy aging for the Ottawa older adult
population. The City of Ottawa has been
a partner of the Age Friendly Ottawa initiative from the onset and City
representatives have been active participants on the project’s Steering
Committee.
In addition, the WHO age-friendly
model and framework has already inspired several Older Adult Plan project
activities. For example, the age-friendly
domains have provided the structure for the City’s inventory of programs and
services that was developed during the research phase. Collaboration between the two initiatives
will continue throughout the fall, in the form of joint public consultations,
and later during the development of the plans. While the City of Ottawa plan will deal
strictly with the City’s areas of responsibility, the Age Friendly Ottawa plan
will target the entire community.
Aging in Place
Aging in place (that is, the ability to continue living in
one’s current home and familiar community for as long as possible) is another
concept that is gaining ground in and outside Ottawa. It is generally being recognized more and
more that older adults prefer to ‘age in place.’ According to the Canadian Mortgage and
Housing Corporation, at least 85 per cent of those over age 55 plan to remain
in their present home for as long as possible, even if there were changes in
their health.[6]
Locally, major funders like the local United Way and the
Champlain Local Health Integration Network have prioritized ‘aging in place’
and are investing significantly in community projects that enhance the capacity
of older adults to stay in their home. Examples
of funded supports include: supportive housing, caregiver
support and education, transportation and meals, physical activity, and
wellness and preventive care. The
overarching goal of these investments is to allow older persons to remain in
their homes for as long as possible, therefore reducing pressure on the
long-term care system. [7]
The aging in place trend is important for the
City of Ottawa, since it acts as both service provider and another major funder
of community agencies. The preference of
older adults to age in place could mean growing demands for home adaptations,
home maintenance and support services, as well as transportation options in
order for older persons to have the capacity to stay at home. From a funding perspective, an aging in place
priority of major funders will likely drive the direction and work of
community-based organizations in the coming years.
The aging of the
Ottawa population represents the most relevant phenomenon currently at play in
the city of Ottawa. However, there are
other key factors and trends about the Ottawa seniors’ population that also
have important implications related to service delivery. They are presented in this section along with
a discussion about what might be the implications for the City of Ottawa. Note that a detailed profile of the Ottawa
seniors’ population was prepared and is available in a separate document A Portrait of Ottawa Seniors: Demographic
and Socio-Economic Characteristics.
·
Three quarter of the seniors’
population lives in the urban areas (inside the National Capital Greenbelt[9]),
18% live in suburban areas, and another 8% live in rural areas.
·
Municipal wards located in the
central areas of the city (Bay, College, and Alta Vista) have the largest
numbers and concentrations of seniors.
·
The majority of seniors live in
private dwellings, with 72% of seniors owning their own homes.
·
Approximately 25% of seniors live
alone, with women more likely to live alone than men.
·
Approximately 9% of the seniors’
population lives in collective dwellings (long-term care facilities and
hospitals), compared to the national figure of 7%.
·
20% of seniors identify as
francophone, 31% are foreign born, 10% belong to a visible minority, and 0.5% are Aboriginal.
·
Most foreign-born seniors came to
Canada decades ago, with only about 14% having immigrated since 1991. An estimated 200 seniors immigrate to Ottawa
every year.
·
The most common mother tongue for seniors
is English (58%), followed by other languages (23%) and French (18%). Approximately 7% of seniors do not speak
English and 4% do not speak either official language.
·
The after-tax low income rate of
seniors is 6.8%. Women and individuals living alone are more likely to live
on low income. Somerset, Rideau-Vanier,
Rideau-Rockcliffe, and Kitchissippi wards show high concentrations of older
adults living on low income.
·
11%
of seniors are employed, with men being more likely to be employed than women.
·
About
half of seniors perceive their health to be very good or excellent and 73%
perceive their mental health as being very good or excellent.
·
About
19% of seniors report often having difficulties with daily activities: 11% require help with heavy chores, 11% with
everyday housework, and 9% with shopping.
·
78%
of seniors drive their own car, 10% have a family member drive them, and 9% use
public transportation.
·
48%
of seniors provide unpaid voluntary help for a non-profit or charitable
organization and 60% provide unpaid help to other family members, neighbours,
and friends.
Ottawa’s
population is aging. In
1981, 9% of the population was over the age of 65. This figure had grown to 12% in 2006 and is
projected to increase to about 22% by 2031.
In twenty years, more than one in five residents will be over the age of
65 years old. While the population has been aging for a
while, what is unprecedented – and what we must pay attention to - is that the
growth rate of seniors began to accelerate significantly in 2011.
Seniors now make up the fastest-growing age group in Ottawa, with other
age groups lagging far behind. While
the number of seniors is projected to grow by 115% between 2011 and 2031, the number of people between the
ages of 55 and 64 years old will grow by about 20%, while the 45 to 54 age
group will increase by a modest 5%.[10]
By 2031, there will be more
seniors than children under the age of 15 years old for the first time in
history.
Why
is the older population growing so fast?
Declining fertility rates and increased longevity certainly play a
role. However, the main reason is the large number of baby boomers[11] who
started turning 65 years old in 2011. Over
the next twenty years, the baby boomers will act as a wave that will first
swell the ranks of the ‘younger’ seniors before starting to have a significant impact
on the 74-85 age group beginning around 2021.
While the group of ‘oldest’ seniors (85 years old and over) will
not feel the impact of the baby boomer generation for another twenty years or
so, this age group is nevertheless expected to double in size between 2011 and
2031, to a projected 34,220 individuals in 2031.
Discussion of implications
& opportunities for the City of Ottawa
The fact that the seniors’ population is predicted to more than
double over the next 20 years is important from a planning perspective. Even in the short-term, the fact that 30,000 individuals
will be turning 65 in the next 5 years provides enough rationale to review the
City’s ability to sustain and promote seniors’ well-being and successful aging.
A
larger older adult population will influence shifts in public policy and
spending to areas reflecting the wants and needs of older adults. At the least,
population aging will lead to increasing demand for several municipal
programs and services, especially in the areas of health services, social
services, recreation, transportation, and housing.
Infrastructure
requirements will also change, as demand shifts away from schools and
playgrounds, large and low-density housing, and family-friendly amenities to
services and facilities targeting increasing numbers of mature adults. The issue of accessibility of facilities,
outdoor spaces, programs, and public transportation will become even more
important to address. Finally,
population aging may also have an impact on City of Ottawa revenues (e.g.
related to registration/user fees for recreational programs).
A
general increase in the older adult population also means a corresponding
increase in the number of vulnerable older adults (isolated, living on low
income or with disabilities). Vulnerable older adults, as well as the “oldest”
seniors, typically require extensive and cost-intensive services and
supports. It is therefore reasonable to
expect accentuated long term pressures on paramedic services, public health
services, in-home supports, and financial assistance programs.
There
are a number of opportunities that can also accrue from an aging
population. The sudden increase in
“younger” seniors in the next 10 years, brought on by the baby boomers, could
translate in increasing demand for revenue-generating programs and services,
such as recreational programs and the arts.
Larger numbers of “younger” retired individuals may also lead to an increased
interest for new recreational opportunities during the day time, when City
facilities tend to be available. The
increase in the number of older adults could also translate in an increased
pool of volunteers for the City of Ottawa to tap into.
Suburban and
rural areas will see largest growth in seniors
The majority of seniors currently
live in the central areas of Ottawa. The
Bay, College, and Alta Vista wards show the largest numbers and proportions of
seniors. For example, approximately 21%
of the Bay ward population is over 65 years old, which is almost double the 12%
rate for Ottawa as a whole. Also of
importance is the fact that the College and Bay wards show the largest numbers
of ‘oldest’ seniors (85 years old and over).
On
the other hand, areas that are further away from the city centre show much lower
numbers and proportions of older adults.
These include the Gloucester-South Nepean, Cumberland, West
Carleton-March, and Barrhavan wards. For
example, seniors living in the Barrhavan ward make up only 5.6% of the total ward
population.
The distribution of older adults
across Ottawa is expected to change over the next 20 years, with the number and
proportion of seniors increasing significantly in the suburban and rural areas
(outside the National Capital Greenbelt).
In fact, the number of seniors living in rural areas is projected to
increase by 183% between now and
2031.[12] This represents an increase of 11,000 seniors
just in the rural areas.
This geographic shift can be
explained by looking at the current distribution of middle-age individuals
(between 45 and 64 years old) across Ottawa.
These individuals are already concentrated in the suburban and rural
areas, having chosen these areas to raise their families. The
fact that older adults typically prefer to stay in their community as they age, [13] should lead to a gradual shift in the number of older
people in these areas between now and 2031.
Discussion of implications & opportunities for
the City of Ottawa
In
the short-term, knowledge about which areas show the largest numbers and
concentrations of older adults is key to providing the right services where
they are needed or desired most. Wards such as Bay, College and Alta Vista
therefore represent the highest priority for place-based programs and services
targeting older adults.
In the longer-term, demand for
municipal services (transportation, housing,
recreation, outdoor spaces, emergency services, and in-home services) will
start to increase in the suburban and rural
areas. This increasing demand will be accompanied by increasing per capita costs
for distance-sensitive services typically used by the older population, such as
public transit and emergency medical services.
Suburban and rural communities are different from the
urban core, especially considering the abundance of single family units and
longer distances to get to shopping and other services. Residents of these areas rely heavily on the
automobile for transportation. Population
aging in these areas will lead to a different set of challenges, especially
related to acess to services, with transportation at the heart of the
issue.
There
were 18,615 francophone seniors[14]
living in Ottawa at the time of the 2006 Census, representing exactly 20% of the
total seniors’ population. The
francophone older population is projected to grow at about the same rate as the
overall older population over the next 20 years, and therefore should continue
to represent about one-fifth of all seniors.[15]
Older francophone residents tend to
live on the East side of Ottawa, in the traditional francophone
neighbourhoods. Wards with the highest
numbers of francophone older adults are Rideau-Vanier and Rideau-Rockcliffe,
but all areas on the East side show high numbers of francophone older
adults. Anecdotal evidence suggests that
the distribution of francophone older adults is changing, with growing francophone
areas as far West as Kanata. The
upcoming 2011 Census data should be consulted in order to substantiate this
trend.
According to the 2006 Census, 31%
of Ottawa seniors (31,480 individuals) are foreign-born. However, the vast majority of these
individuals immigrated to Canada decades ago and only 14% of them arrived since
1991. Slightly over
200 older immigrants (over 65 years old) arrive in Ottawa every year, and this
number appears to have been fairly consistent over the last 10 years. As for the francophone population, the older
immigrant population is projected to grow at about the same rate as that of the
general older population over the next 20 years. Recent immigrant seniors (less than 10
years) tend to be located in the Gloucester-South Nepean, Kanata North, and
Barrhaven wards.
What is changing is the make-up of the immigrant population, with more and more visible minorities
being represented in the future.[16] The growth of
the visible minority population is due to the increasing number of immigrants
coming from non-European countries. The
most common visible minority groups in the older population currently include
Chinese and South Asians. If current
immigration trends continue, Ottawa’s visible minority older population will
grow more quickly than the non-visible minority older population.
The total Aboriginal population (all ages) in Ottawa is
relatively small, with 12,965 individuals at the time of the 2006 Census,
representing only 1.6% of the total Ottawa population.[17] Just
over half of Aboriginal people in Ottawa identify as First Nations, 37% as
Métis, and 5% as Inuit. The Aboriginal population shows a younger age structure
than the general population, with only 3.6% being over 65 year old. However, the older Aboriginal group is
expected to grow by an impressive 405%
over the next 20 years to about 3,250 individuals.[18]
Discussion
of implications & opportunities for the City of Ottawa
Francophone, new immigrant and Aboriginal older adults have
unique needs and face different challenges than the general population of older
adults. Francophone seniors prefer to be
served in French and have access to culturally-sensitive programming. Aboriginal
individuals have a lower life expectancy than the general population and tend
to suffer from higher rates of certain chronic health problems.
Immigrants to Canada, particularly those who arrive as
adults, often have a reduced financial capacity to save, and the length of time
they reside in Canada has implications for their for Old Age Security
eligibility.[19]
Many ethno-diverse cultures also have distinct approaches to caring for their
elderly that may indicate that a broader range of models and services for older
adults should be explored.[20] Another issue relates to language barriers
which tend to increasingly isolate older adults, especially women.
Diversity suggests a need for
flexibility and choice when we think about adapting services to an aging
population. Increasing numbers of
francophone, new immigrant and Aboriginal older adults will be accompanied by
an increasing need for programs and services that are culturally sensitive and
accessible linguistically. Increasing ethnic diversity in the City will have implications for communication,
marketing and outreach, program offerings, and overcoming the barriers faced by
new Canadians in accessing these services.
Knowledge about city areas with
high numbers or concentrations of francophone and new immigrant older adults is
key to tailoring programs and services in the right areas.
Several indicators of financial security
paint an encouraging picture of the economic situation of Ottawa seniors. To begin, the median total income of $31,000
for older adults (2006) is 32% higher than the Ontario median and 48% higher
that the Canadian median.
Median
Total Income by Age Group, for Ottawa, Ontario, and Canada, 2006
|
55-64 |
65-74 |
75+ |
65+ |
|
|
Ottawa |
$40,100 |
$29,300 |
$32,600 |
$31,000 |
|
Ontario |
$33,600 |
$24,000 |
$22,800 |
$23,400 |
|
Canada |
$30,700 |
$21,800 |
$20,400 |
$21,000 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Small Area
and Administrative Data Division, 2007, Annual Estimates for Census Families
and Individuals, 13C0015
More Ottawa seniors are found in
the higher income brackets (compared to Ontario and Canada as a whole) and
fewer in the lowest income brackets. Ottawa seniors draw a larger percentage of their income
from private pensions (42%) when compared to Ontario and Canada (13% and 29%
respectively).
At the same time Ottawa seniors
rely less on government transfers (such as OAS) than the average for Ontario
and Canada. This can probably be
attributed to the fact that a large portion of Ottawa seniors are retired
public sector employees who are three times more likely to accumulate savings
in employer-sponsored pension plans than private sector employees.[21]
Finally, Ottawa seniors show the
lowest rate of low income of all age groups.
Approximately 7% of Ottawa seniors
are considered living on low income, meaning that they have after-tax incomes
below Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Offs (LICOs).[22] In comparison, the low
income rate for individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 is 23%. Also
in comparison, Gatineau seniors have a low income rate of 10%.
Low Income (After
Tax) by Age and Gender, Ottawa, 2005
|
|
Total |
Men |
Women |
|
<18
years |
15% |
15% |
15% |
|
18
to 24 years |
23% |
21% |
24% |
|
25
to 44 years |
12% |
11% |
12% |
|
45
to 64 years |
9% |
9% |
9% |
|
>65
years |
7% |
5% |
8% |
Source:
Statistics Canada, 2006 Census
However,
while most Ottawa seniors appear to be relatively secure financially, individuals
living on low income tend to be some of the most vulnerable in the
community. A 7% low income rate
translates to approximately 6,300 individuals over 65 years old and this number
is projected to increase to about 15,000 individuals by 2031.
This
group is vulnerable as low income affects one’s health status, mobility, and
ability to participate and contribute to the community. Three groups of seniors are particularly
susceptible to be experiencing low income: unattached individuals, women, and recent
immigrants. For example, almost
three-quarters of older seniors who are on low income live alone and 70% are
women. Older women tend to have lower
incomes because they have spent less time working or worked in lower paid jobs
and because they live longer and are at greater risk of using up their
savings. A significant number of recent
immigrant seniors do not qualify for the certain government transfers, which puts
them at a disadvantage financially.
Higher
concentrations of seniors living on low income are found in the urban core, in
the Somerset (20% of the total seniors’ population), Rideau-Vanier (15%), Rideau-Rockcliffe (12%) and Kitchissippi wards. Rural
wards show the lowest rates of low income in the seniors’ population. In fact, three rural wards show rates of less
than 1%: Rideau-Goulbourn (0.4%), Osgoode (0.5%), and
Cumberland (0.8%).
Discussion of implications
& opportunities for the City of Ottawa
The
City of Ottawa has traditionally provided general subsidies to all seniors based
on age, mostly in the areas of recreation, culture and transit. A significant increase in the number of
seniors over the next 20 years will certainly impact this model of
subsidization. A general subsidy model
based on age may not be sustainable or meet all needs due to increasing costs
of financial subsidies/assistance for low income seniors.[23]
There
is an obvious need and opportunity for the City of Ottawa to continue
supporting older adults who are economically disadvantaged. Any place-based programs specifically
targeting low income older adults should take into consideration areas with
high concentrations of economically disadvantaged seniors (Somerset, Rideau-Vanier,
Rideau-Rockcliffe and Kitchissippi wards).
Financial
assistance programs are currently in place , e.g. Essential Health and Social
Supports (EHHS), Home Support Services, Property Tax Deferral, Snow Go Assist,
and Hand in Hand Recreation and Culture Fee Support. Demand for these programs (and thus financial
pressures) will surely increase as the number of older adults living on low
income more than doubles over the next 20 years. The increase in the number of vulnerable
older adults will also have an impact on demand for affordable housing
options.
There
are currently more than twice as many baby boomers in Ottawa as there are seniors. Due to their sheer numbers, the baby boom
generation has always played a significant role in shaping almost every aspect
of society and most observers think that this will continue to be the case in
older adulthood. In Ottawa,
approximately 250,000 baby boomers will become seniors in the next 20
years.
Baby boomers grew up in a different
social and economic climate and bring a different set of life experiences that
will affect their needs, preferences, and attitudes about aging. Much of the literature indicates that future older
adults will live longer, work longer and engage in a wider range of activities
and pursuits. They will likely be more confident
about being old and refuse to tolerate the ageism of others.[24]
Certain facts and trends about this
generation are relevant from a planning perspective:
Ø
The marital situation of Ottawa
baby boomers and seniors is markedly different.
For example, 12.7% of Ottawa baby boomers have never married compared to
6.7% of current seniors. Baby boomers
also have a higher divorce rate than today’s seniors (13% compared to 6% for
current seniors).[25] The other
significant difference is that baby boomers had fewer children than the
previous generation.
Ø
Ottawa baby boomers have a higher
education level than today’s seniors.
Approximately 35% of Ottawa adults between the ages of 45 and 64 have a
university degree compared to 21% of the over 65 age group. Individuals with a university degree are 5
times more likely to be involved in cultural, educational, civic or hobby
activity than those with less than a high school degree.[26]
Ø Nearly 70 per cent of baby boomers plan to work
after the age of 65. Seventy-two per
cent said they wanted to continue working to remain mentally active and 57 per
cent said they want to stay socially active.[27]
Ø
Baby boomers tend to give more time to
education and research organizations, whereas existing seniors tend to do more
with religious organizations, hospitals and service organizations. Boomers also tend to want volunteer
opportunities that serve personal needs and interests.[28]
Ø
Baby boomers are early adopters and
skilled users of new technologies.
Seniors are significantly less likely to be online than boomers,
although this gap is closing.[29]
Ø
Ottawa female seniors are less likely to drive their own car and more
likely to be driven by another family member than men.[30] However, the rate of women drivers is much higher among baby boomers.
[31]
Discussion of implications & opportunities for
the City of Ottawa
The general trends
that characterize the baby boomer generation (as listed above) have several
implications for the City of Ottawa. For
example, there may be a shift in the types of recreational, leisure, and
cultural programs that older adults are interested in. Aged baby boomers will be more likely to demand stimulating volunteer experiences
that respond to personal needs and interests.
The fact that baby
boomers are skilled users of technology implies that new and innovative means
of communication with older adults will need to be developed, away from the use
of the telephone and one-on-one contacts.
An increase of women drivers may also lead to an increase number of
senior drivers on the city’s roads. Less
informal supports available to aged baby boomers (who had no or few children) may
lead to an increased demand for formal in-home supports. Finally, aged baby boomers working past the
traditional age of retirement could have an
impact on the City of Ottawa work force.
The baby boom generation differs enough from that of
current seniors as to constitute an emerging new market. It may
be useful to begin thinking about two distinct older adult markets, a more
‘traditional’ group on the one hand and the ‘baby boomer’ group on the other
hand. This distinction is important as
each group shows different characteristics, needs and interest that should
inform the types – and delivery methods - of programs and services being
offered. We can expect that the mix of older adults
will slowly change from the current ‘traditional’ majority to the new
generation of older adults over the course of the next 20 years.
Municipalities respond to the needs of older adults in many
ways and on an everyday basis. And while
municipalities do not control many of the major services that affect older
adults’ lives (like the health care system and income supports), they are the
“front line” and can have a profound effect on the well-being of older
residents.
Core municipal responsibilities include the physical
infrastructure and the ‘nuts and bolts’ of city operations such as roads,
sewers, waste disposal, recreation, library, transit, and housing. In
addition, municipalities can make a difference in the lives of older adults by
paying attention to the physical environment,
encouraging more housing options and supports,
improving transportation, promoting healthy active living, using
senior-friendly means of communication, and encouraging social inclusion.
This section describes how the City of Ottawa currently
supports and serves older adults. The
larger corporate picture is first introduced, followed by a summary of City
programs and services, categorized using the age-friendly areas developed by
the World Health Organization.
Of note, the recently adopted Term of Council Strategic
Priorities clearly identify older adults as a key
target population. As such, the Healthy and Caring Community Strategic
Objective reads: “To achieve equity and inclusion for an aging and diverse
population.” Accommodating the needs of
a diverse aging population will be accomplished by effectively planning and
implementing changes to major infrastructure development and service delivery.”[32]
There
is no formal definition or consensus in terms of what constitutes a senior or
older adult at the City of Ottawa.
Individual departments have developed their own way of defining this
population, typically by setting a minimal age for access to programming or
benefits.
As
a result, various age-based definitions are used across departments and even
within a single department. In general,
older adulthood is defined by City departments as beginning anywhere between 50
and 65 years of age.
Age
Definitions for Various City of Ottawa Programs and Services
|
Department & Programs/Services |
Age |
|
Parks,
Recreation
& Cultural Services Programming Registration
discounts Seniors
Centres |
50+ 65+ 50+ or 55+ |
|
Community and
Social Services Social
Housing |
60+ |
|
Finance Tax Deferral
Program |
65+ |
|
Public
Library |
55+ |
|
Transit
Services Seniors
discount |
65+ |
|
Public Health |
65+ |
|
Public Works Snowgo and Snowgo Assist Programs |
60+ |
Programs offering financial
discounts or subsidies generally use the minimal age of 65 to determine
eligibility (except for the Snow Go Assist program for which the minimal age is
60). On the other hand, older adult
programming (e.g. recreation, leisure, cultural) is typically geared to the
adult 50 and over. Social housing is
provincially legislated to consider an older adult to be someone over 60 years. We
also note that the four Seniors Centres operated by the City of Ottawa each define
older adults differently, ranging from 50 to 55 and over.
The older
adult portfolio was transitioned to the Client Service Strategies (CSS) Branch
of the Organizational & Development Performance Department when the Seniors
Agenda project wrapped up in 2007. This
ensures that the City’s efforts to address older adult issues and service are
more deliberate, operational, integrated and coordinated into the everyday
business of the City.
City of Ottawa
staff has been working collaboratively across departments as well as with
community partners through a self-directed internal Seniors Work Group,
facilitated by the CSS Branch. This
staff group was formed in 2005 to oversee the work and progress of the Seniors
Agenda. It is composed of departmental
representatives who have expertise or responsibility for liaising with older
clients and planning or overseeing initiatives.
The internal Seniors Work Group has been able to achieve a coordinated
approach to community events.
Corporate
Accessibility Initiatives
The efforts of the City of Ottawa
in the area of accessibility have undeniable benefits for older residents who
are experiencing age-related mobility, hearing or vision issues. The Corporate
Accessibility Office (CAO) coordinates the implementation of all corporate-wide
accessibility initiatives at the City of Ottawa. Assisted by the Accessibility Working Group and
in collaboration with the Accessibility Advisory Committee, the CAO supports
departments in their implementation of corporate strategic directions
addressing accessibility issues in City services, programs, by-laws, policies
and practices as identified by the Corporation, the community and legislated
requirements.
The City supports the intent of new
provincial legislation called the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
Act (AODA). Under the AODA, private,
public and non-profit organizations are required to identify, remove and
prevent barriers in order to make the Province accessible for all people with
disabilities by 2025. The AODO legislates standards in
five key areas: customer service, transportation, information and
communications, employment, and the built environment. Every year, the City of Ottawa Municipal
Accessibility Plan (COMAP) is written to report on steps the City has taken to
increase accessibility for visitors, staff and residents and outlines the work
proposed for the upcoming year. The 2011
COMAP reflects the City of Ottawa’s commitment to the successful implementation
of the AODA Standards as they take effect.
Outdoor spaces and buildings refer to the
natural and built environments and how these enable older people to get around
easily and safely in the community.
Age-friendly environments can have positive impacts on the mobility,
independence and quality of life of older people. Examples of natural and built environments
include green spaces, outdoor seating, pavements, roads, walkways and cycle paths,
and City of Ottawa buildings and parking lots.
|
Age-friendly
features include: |
|
|
·
Walkable
sidewalks, pathways and trails, free of obstacles and barriers (e.g. snow
removed) |
·
Adjustments and adaptations that help older
adults feel safe and secure in the community |
|
·
Good accessibility to and within public buildings
(few stairs, wheelchairs ramps that are not too steep, accessible washrooms) |
·
Provision of services within walking distance of
where many older adults live |
|
·
Along footpaths, accessible washrooms and rest
areas, including benches that are an appropriate height |
·
Safe pedestrian crossings |
The main responsibility for outdoor spaces and City buildings rests with
the Public Works and Infrastructure Services departments. Over the winter months, the City of Ottawa clears
snow and ice from roadways, sidewalks, bridges, bus stops and the Transitway. In
addition, a number of specific programs and services are of benefit to older adults:
·
Audible and Countdown Pedestrian Signals – Audible Pedestrian Signals are the sounds heard at intersections that
indicate when and in what direction pedestrians can safely cross
intersections. Pedestrian Countdown
Signals during the flashing ‘Don’t Walk’ interval inform pedestrians about how
much time they have to safely cross the intersection. Pedestrian signals provide improved security
for visually impaired pedestrians and pedestrians with reduced mobility. Currently, 48% of signalized intersections
are equipped with audible signals and 24% are equipped with countdowns.
·
Local road 40 km/h request.
Residents have the ability to request, by means of a petition, a
reduction in the speed limit to 40 km/h on streets designated as ‘local
residential.’ The opportunity to reduce
the speed limit on designated streets may appeal to seniors living in areas
with a high older population.
Transportation (driving, taking the bus, walking, cycling)
is an important component of older people’s ability to remain independent and
active, to participate in social, cultural, volunteer and recreational
activities, as well as enabling them to go to work, shop or go to
appointments. Age friendly transportation options relate to convenience,
safety, and the ability for older persons to go wherever they want or need in Ottawa.
|
Age-friendly
features include: |
|
|
For older drivers:
·
Adequate parking, including parking for persons
with disabilities |
For older non-drivers: ·
Public transportation, subsidized for low income,
accessible vehicles, with travel destinations aligned with destinations of
choice for older adults, and transport stops and stations that are
age-friendly |
|
·
Volunteer drivers and/or informal networks that
provide transportation services |
|
|
·
Assisted public transportation for older persons
who cannot use public transit (with wheelchair lifts) |
|
|
·
Affordable and accessible taxis |
The most recent
transportation-related information on Ottawa seniors comes from the Successful
Aging Survey (2004), which asked seniors what mode of transportation they used
most often. The vast majority (78%) reported
getting around by driving the family car, 10% being driven by another family
member, 7% taking regular public transportation, and 2% taking Para Transpo. Taxis,
walking, bicycling or using a volunteer driver each were reported by about 1%
of seniors.
The Successful Aging Survey found
that men are
much more likely to drive than women, and groups who are less likely to have
sufficient access to transportation include seniors with household incomes
under $20,000, female seniors, and those over 85 years old. The use of taxis and Para Transpo increases
with age.[33]
Getting
around poses different challenges in small towns and rural areas than in large
cities, as there are often fewer options and rural residents generally live
further away from friends, family and services.
The car is often the only practical transportation option which puts
women non-drivers at a disadvantage especially if they are widowed, live alone,
and/or have low income.
Several high level
corporate plans shape the policies and decisions made around the issues of
transportation at the City of Ottawa. The
current Transportation Master Plan
(2008) guides the City’s day-to-day transportation decisions as it strives to
achieve a sustainable transportation system.[34]
The Ottawa Cycling
Plan (2008) is a long-term (20-year) strategy that builds upon
the existing network of on and off-road cycling facilities and programs in the
City, as well as supports efforts and initiatives of several area cycling
groups to help improve cycling conditions in Ottawa and encourage more people
to cycle more often.[35]
The Ottawa
Pedestrian Plan (2009) is a long term (20- year) strategy to develop,
strengthen and support a pedestrian culture throughout the City of Ottawa.
Specifically, the plan identifies and recommends changes in infrastructure,
policies and programs that will encourage more people to walk more often.[36]
OC Transpo, Ottawa’s Transit Service, runs two types of public
transportation services, which are becoming progressively more integrated:
conventional transit services (buses and light rail) and specialized service
for people with disabilities (Para Transpo). OC
Transpo reports that approximately 7,700 monthly senior passes are sold each
month. Seniors make up the majority of
Para Transpo registered clients (69%), but only account for 46% of total trips
made.
The following OC Transpo services
specifically target the older adult population:
·
Discounted monthly and annual passes. Discounted passes
are available to seniors 65 years of age and older and are valid on all
routes.
·
Ride free days. Seniors
65 years of age and older (with proof-of-age identification) ride free on all
routes on Mondays and Fridays (after noon) as well as on Wednesdays (all
day).
·
Immigrant seniors pass/ID card. Immigrant seniors
without official ID can apply for an OC Transpo Senior Pass, which allows them
to receive the proper discounts.
·
Seniors-oriented service design and routing. Service design on
a number of OC Transpo bus routes is tailored to reach the largest number of
older riders. OC Transpo also
prioritizes the installation of bus shelters in locations with a high
proportion of older adults.
In addition, a number of OC Transpo accessibility-specific
initiatives are of benefit to the older adult population. Some of these initiatives include: low floor
buses, attendant cards, co-operative seating, next stop announcement system,
destination cards, medical emergency cards, bus hailing kits, night stops, taxi
link, and service animal cards.[37]
The availability of affordable, accessible and
suitable housing options is particularly important for older people, and will become
even more of a priority as the Ottawa population continues to age.
Many older adults (or baby boomers) live in dwellings that were designed for families and that cannot accommodate increasing
frailty related to aging, unless modifications are made to facilitate aging in
place. Oldest seniors or those living on low income, with disabilities or
without family supports are disadvantaged when it comes to aging in place and
require other housing options and choices within their community.
|
Age
friendly features include: |
|
|
·
Affordable housing options , including condos and
smaller homes, subsidized housing, assisted living, and long-term care
options |
·
Accessible and affordable home services and
supports |
|
·
Homes designed with older persons in mind |
·
Close proximity to services |
The majority of Ottawa older adults live in private households and 72%
own their homes. Most live with family members, including a spouse, children or other
relatives and approximately 25% live alone. There are considerable differences
depending on age and gender.
For example,
the likelihood of living with family decreases with age. Women are also less likely to be living with
family members and more likely to live alone than men the same age. This is largely due
to the overall aging of the population, an increase in the divorce rate, and to
different life expectancies for men and women.
It is estimated that 9% of Ottawa older adults lived in an
institutional setting in 2006.[38] There is a substantial wait list of
approximately 3,700 individuals for long-term care beds in the Champlain Region
and this wait list is considerably longer than those observed in other parts of
the province.
[39] Some observe that this is due, in part, to
few housing options currently available for individuals
who require help with activities of daily living and who are living on a low(er) income.
The
City of Ottawa is involved in the entire housing continuum:
·
Property Tax Deferral Program. The City of Ottawa offers a full property tax
deferral program for low income home owners over the age of 65 years old. There
are currently just over 60 low income older adult home owners benefiting from
this program.
·
Long-Term Care. The City
owns and operates four Long-Term Care (LTC) homes: Centre d'Accueil
Champlain (French), Garry J. Armstrong (English), Peter D. Clark (English), and
Carleton Lodge (English). The four LTC
homes have a total of 717 beds, of which 96% are occupied by adults 65 or
over.
o
26% of housing units are occupied by older adults
(60 and over);
o
Approximately 90% of older adults in social housing
live in one of the 35 senior-specific buildings;
o
18% of the social housing waitlist is made up of older
adults;
o
Wait time for older adults on the wait list is 2.7
years (compared to 4.3 years for non-older adults).
·
Domiciliary Hostels. The City subsidizes the cost of lodging and
services for adults residing in domiciliary hostels. Domiciliary Hostels are privately owned
residences that provide safe and supportive housing to vulnerable adults who
need supervision and some assistance with daily living activities. There
are approximately 1,000 clients residing in domiciliary hostels (no wait list)
with the following age breakdown:
o Age 55-59: 31% of all clients
o
Age 60-64: 22% of all clients
o
Age 65+: 40% of all clients
·
Affordable Housing. The City Housing
Branch is responsible for facilitating the development of affordable housing
for low-income individuals and families in Ottawa.
Provincial/federal funding dedicated to affordable housing projects (including seniors
units) is administered by the City. Several
affordable housing projects that will directly benefit older adults are
currently underway.
·
Emergency shelters. The City owns and operates 2 family emergency
shelters and contracts with 8 emergency shelters, with overflow accommodated
off-site (e.g. YMCA, hotels, etc). There
are no shelters specifically designated for older adults.
·
Homelessness Program. The Homelessness Initiative Program (combination
of federal, provincial and municipal funding) allows the City to contract with
local non-profit agencies to provide homelessness prevention services, housing
search and stabilization services, and outreach services to those experiencing
or at risk of homelessness. Senior
households represent only 0.5% of households served by this program.
Social networks, social participation and feelings of belonging are
important to healthy living, disease prevention and the reduction of isolation
among older adults. Research
shows that those who remain actively engaged in life and socially connected are
happier, physically and mentally healthier, and better able to cope with life’s
transitions common in older age. Regular and moderate exercise can cut age declines in half
and significantly reduce the risk of all diseases.[40]
|
Age
friendly features include: |
|
|
·
Opportunities
for physical recreation or sports, including spectator sports ·
Lifelong
learning opportunities |
·
Activities
located in areas that are convenient and accessible to older adults ·
Affordable
activities |
|
·
Non-physical
recreation activities ·
Cultural
activities |
·
Integenerational
and family (multigenerational) oriented activities |
Approximately
45% of older adults (65 and over) living in the Champlain Region are active or
moderately active during leisure time, compared to 41% for Ontario and 43% for
Canada.[41] Older men are significantly more active than
older women.
The most recent leisure-related data for Ottawa seniors
comes from the Successful Aging Survey (2004), which asked seniors to report on
their participation in leisure activities. On average, respondents reported participating
in six activities over the course of one year.
Respondents aged 65 to 74, those in excellent or very good health, and
those with household incomes of $50,000 or more participated more in leisure
activities than the average.
|
Leisure activities that Ottawa seniors report being engaging in
- over a one year period |
|
|
Went to the movies |
55% |
|
Participated in a sport |
48% |
|
Attended a sporting event |
36% |
|
Went to the casino or bingo hall |
34% |
|
Went camping or hiking |
21% |
|
Visited an art gallery or museum |
59% |
|
Worked on a craft project or hobby |
48% |
|
Went hunting or fishing |
8% |
|
Played a musical instrument |
14% |
|
Played cards |
53% |
|
Went to a concert |
67% |
|
Participated in a community event |
44% |
|
Took a course |
21% |
|
Did some traveling |
71% |
|
Source:
Successful Aging Ottawa Survey Report (2005) |
|
The City’s Parks, Recreation &
Cultural Services Department has been working on the development of a 50+ Recreation Strategy. The
purpose of the strategy is to provide Council and staff with an overview of the
future challenges resulting from an increasing demographic of older residents
and the policy, program recommendations to ensure that residents in the 50+ age
category have proper access to parks and recreation services.
The
plan contains 5 strategic directions (with recommended actions) to structure
services and programs provided to the 50+ population. One of the specific projects involves mapping
programs/services provided by the City along with those of other service
providers against the top five wards with the highest 50 + population to
identify potential gaps and to assist in informing long range planning.
Ottawa Public Libraries offer a variety of services to the community
including the opportunity to borrow books and other materials, access to
computers and the Internet, and participation in numerous in-branch workshops
and events. Ottawa Public Libraries recently
developed a Position Statement on Services for Seniors
which will guide staff as they create, maintain, and improve services for older
adults. The Library has also developed a
System-Wide Adult Programming Strategy which identified older adults as a
target group. The Library will be hiring
a programmer to develop and implement system-wide programs (programs occurring
in at least 2 branches) for adults, including older adults.
The City of Ottawa offers a wide
range of fitness, recreation, arts, culture and library programs and services
designed to keep residents of Ottawa active and engaged in their community. Some highlights include:
·
Recreation, fitness
and arts programming. Several recreation, fitness and arts programs
are designed specifically for adults who are 50 years and over. Residents 65 years and over currently receive
a 10% discount on fitness and wellness memberships, recreation and fitness
programs, arts programming, and museum entrance fees.
·
Senior Centres. The City of Ottawa
operates four senior centres that offer programs in English, as well as
drop-ins for older residents: Churchill Seniors Centre (50+); Heron Seniors
Centre (50+); Kanata Seniors Centre (50+) and the Nepean Seniors Recreation
Centre (55+). Approximately 1,800
seniors are members of the Senior Centres and over 53,000 drop-in visits are
tallied on a yearly basis.
Older adults have a great
variety of skills, knowledge and time to contribute to their communities in a
range of areas, including civic participation, volunteer activities and paid
employment. Their participation is linked not only to the economic prosperity
and viability of the community, but also to maintaining their own mental and
physical health, and social connectedness.
|
Age friendly features include: |
|
|
· Volunteer options for older people and
recognition and appreciation for the work of older volunteers |
·
Opportunities
for older adults to be politically active and engaged in municipal affairs |
|
· Opportunities for paid employment |
·
Value
older people for their contributions to the workplace and the community |
Many older Ottawa residents stay active in their community
by volunteering. The Successful Aging
Survey (2004) found that about half (48%) of seniors had provided unpaid
voluntary help for a non-profit or charitable organization in the six months
prior to the survey. This included help with activities such as canvassing, fundraising, teaching,
office work, driving people around, delivering meals, friendly visiting,
sitting on boards and related activities.
There did not appear to be a difference in volunteering by
gender but volunteering tends to decline with advancing age.
In addition to providing voluntary help for organizations,
about sixty percent of older adults provide unpaid help to other family
members, neighbours and friends. Men are more likely to help with activities such as housework, home
repairs or yard work, and driving people places. Women are more likely to help with things
like making meals and personal care. Help
given to others tends to decline with advancing age.
Approximately
11% of older adults in Ottawa were employed at the time of the 2006
Census. As expected, the employment rate is higher for
individuals who are between the ages of 65 to 74 years old than for adults over
75 years old. Older men are also twice
more likely to be working than women, with 17% of men over 65 working compared
to 7.5% of women.[42]
Statistics Canada
reports that employment rate among Canadian seniors has been on the rise in
recent years, after registering declines in the 1980s and early 1990s to settle
at 14.8% for men and 5.8% for women.
Among the employed, many work on a full-time, full-year basis (41.6% of
men and 30.6% of women). Men and women in the bottom and
top income quintiles are more likely to be employed compared to those in the
middle. [43]
At the
City of Ottawa, the average age of retirement for employees is 60 years
old. This average age has been
relatively stable for the last four years.
Approximately 1% of City of Ottawa employees are over the age of 65
years old. Employees from Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services account for 34% of
employees over 65 years old, Ottawa Public Library for 15%, Community and
Social Services employees for 13%, and Transit Services for 11%.[44]
The
Seniors Advisory Committee is a citizen advisory committee reporting to Council
through the Community and Protective Services Standing Committee. The Seniors Advisory Committee is composed of
members from a wide cross-section of the senior and senior support
community. The
Committee regularly receives reports and presentations from City departments
and agencies on programs related to older adults and provides input into key
initiatives or proposed decisions.The
City of Ottawa also offers a wide spectrum of volunteering opportunities in
virtually every department. Opportunities exist at the City’s
theatres, arts centres, museums, archives, fitness facilities, libraries,
long-term care facilities, environmental programs, public health programs, and
at a variety of special events.
Other opportunities for older adults to get
involved include: Adopt-a-Roadway and
Adopt-a-Park programs, Cleaning the Capital Program, and the Graffiti
Management Program.
There is an
increasing tendency for older adults to want to “age in place”, to stay in
one’s home (and community) as long as
possible. However, the ability to live independently in one’s own home depends on a range of
factors, including good health, finances and the availability of support
services.
Community support services provide
assistance to older adults with routine household activities,
home maintenance, personal care, respite care, and even transportation. In many cases, community support services
allow older adults to fulfill their dream of remaining in their own home.
|
Age friendly features include: |
|
|
·
An adequate range of community
support services is offered for promoting, maintaining and restoring health |
·
Clear and accessible
information provided about social services for older people |
|
·
Coordinated and
administratively simple delivery of services |
·
Respectful, helpful, and
trained staff |
|
·
Minimized economic barriers
impeding access to community support services |
·
Voluntary services by people
of all ages are encouraged and supported |
The Successful Aging Ottawa Survey (2004) found that about
20% of seniors require assistance with heavy chores, 11% with everyday
housework, and 9% with shopping. About
one in four older adults report requiring assistance with at least one
activity, while about 6% need help with three or more activities.
Assistance is more often required
by women, the oldest (85 and over), and those living alone. Home adaptations are also important features
for seniors who are aging at home. The
majority of seniors (62%) surveyed by Successful Aging Ottawa reported that
their home has special features to make it easier for them to live there as
they grow older. One common example
includes grab bars in the bathroom.
Again, the oldest individuals (85 and over), those living alone and/or
those using a mobility aid are more likely to report home adaptations in their
homes.
A wide range of community support
services are provided by the City of Ottawa:
The Snow Go Assist Program and the EHSS Program are
100% City-funded while the other programs are cost-shared with the province,
with the City’s contribution at 20%.
Through
the Community Funding Program, the City of Ottawa provides renewable funding
contributions to community agencies that provide community support, recreation
and health services to older adults. Community
Funding contributions support the provision of services that increase access to
basics by supporting inclusion of people who are low-income, vulnerable, and
isolated or otherwise marginalized, and promote quality of life for the full
diversity of citizens. Approximately 6%
(or $1.4 million/year) of the total Renewable Community Funding Envelope is
allocated to agencies that directly support older adults and it is estimated
that approximately 50,600 seniors are reached every year. A Seniors’ Agency Funding Review looking into variations in levels
of City funding for community agencies serving seniors is in progress.
As
the population ages, older adult health issues will assume increasing importance.
An age-friendly community has the
potential both to address and to prevent health problems. The capacity to address problems includes
transportation services to and from health care facilities and home- and
community-based care services. The
capacity to protect and improve residents’ health and wellness includes an
environment that encourages physical activity, preventive health programs, and
creative efforts to engage older adults in community life.
|
Age friendly features include: |
|
|
· Adequate range of health services for promoting, maintaining and
restoring health |
· Clear and accessible information provided about health promotion,
prevention and care services for older people |
|
· Availability of in-home
health services |
· Respectful, helpful, and trained staff |
|
· Coordinated and administratively simple delivery of services |
· Community emergency planning that takes into account the
vulnerabilities and capacities of older people |
About half (47%) of seniors living
in the Champlain Region (which includes Ottawa)perceive their health as very good
or excellent while 23% perceive it as being fair or poor. In the case of mental health, about
three-quarters of seniors perceive their mental health as very good or
excellent.
[45]
According to
Ottawa Public Health, the specific health issues facing seniors in Ottawa include:
physical inactivity and nutrition, injuries, mental illness, social isolation, dementia
/Alzheimer, vulnerability to environmental hazards, and dependency on family
caregivers.[46]
The City of Ottawa’s
Paramedic Services program provides pre-hospital emergency medical patient care
and delivers advanced urgent medical care and medically required inter-hospital
transport. In 2010, 46%
of total patients were 55 and over and 35% were over 65. Of the most acute patients, 45% were 65 or
over.
The Ottawa Paramedic Service is currently partnering with the Champlain
Community Care Assess Center (CCAC) for a study that will evaluate paramedics making
direct referral of patients to the Champlain CCAC. The objective is to increase
the quality of life for vulnerable older patients while decreasing paramedic
responses and recurrent emergency department visits, by linking the patient
with available community services that better match their unmet needs.
Finally, the Emergency and Protective Services Department
is also developing a Paramedic Service Master Plan (2011-2020) that will
assist the Branch in estimating and mitigating the impact of the predicted
service demand pressures on response times, reliability and quality clinical
care, due to the growth of the older adult population.
Ottawa
Public Health (OPH) has legislated responsibility for delivering public health
services including health protection, disease and injury prevention, control of
communicable diseases, family health services and responses to public health
issues. Public Health programs and
services are delivered in a variety of settings including workplaces, day care
centres, schools, private households, seniors’ care and health care facilities,
and community spaces.
Ottawa Public Health recently presented
a plan to develop a Seniors’ Healthy Aging Strategy to
the new Ottawa Board of Health.[47] In addition, one of the recommended
opportunities for Strategic Initiatives for 2012 include Seniors Community
Caregiver Support which involves the creation of a comprehensive strategy to
increase awareness and access to information and support for informal
caregivers in Ottawa.[48]
The following
programs and services are also provided by Ottawa Public Health:
·
Healthy Aging Program. This program provides training and education to older adults by Public
Health Nurses to promote safe and healthy behaviours with a priority on
physical activity, nutrition, self care and social support. This program reached over 3,700 seniors in
2010.
·
Fall Prevention Program. Public Health
Nurses work with older adults, groups and the community to increase awareness
of the risk factors for falls and encourage fall prevention action. Ottawa Public Health also leads the Ottawa
Falls Prevention Coalition, a network of over 35 service providers, industry
and older adults. Fall prevention
sessions reached 655 seniors and 265 service providers in 2010.
·
Caregiver support. Telephone support or counseling is provided to informal caregivers of older
adults by Public Health Nurses.
Approximately 400 informal caregivers were provided support in 2010.
·
Reaching Out to Vulnerable Seniors.
Ottawa Public Health works in partnership with other community health
agencies to provide support to low-income older adults through the Aging in
Place project. In 2010, 2,776 contacts
were made with older adults in these apartment buildings. Public Health nurses also participate on two
community coalitions that focus on Elder Abuse and Isolated, vulnerable older
adults.
·
Health Hazard Prevention and
Management. This program provides services to
individuals who are experiencing a crisis due to deteriorating health and
living conditions. About 85 older clients
were served in 2010.
·
Rural Health, Multicultural Health,
and Francophone Health Programs. These programs target specific
population groups (all ages).
·
Friendly Corner Seniors Drop-In. Public Health Nurses work in partnership with St Laurent Centre and 28
volunteers to offer activities to older adults including mall walking, strength
training, chair exercises, health information sessions, special events. Over 8,000 older clients participated in
these activities in 2010.
·
Immunization. Public Health staff deliver community immunization clinics for
influenza. 5,288 vaccines were given to older adults in
2010.
·
Outbreak Management. Public Health inspectors and nurses provide advice and guidance to
help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and manage outbreaks of
communicable diseases in long-term care and retirement homes. In 2010, Ottawa
Public Health responded to 116 outbreaks.
Public Health inspectors also conducted routine
environmental and food safety inspections to ensure that the health of senior
residents is protected within these homes.
Staying connected and getting timely and practical
information about events, services and resources is essential for active and
healthy aging. This implies that older
adults should be getting the right information, at the right time and in the
right format.
Normal changes accompany aging, and even healthy older
adults experience losses that can affect their access, level of interest and/or
capacity to receive and understand information.
Therefore, communicating and serving older adults well means adapting,
where necessary, communication about services to meet the needs of an aging
community.
|
Age
friendly features should include: |
|
|
· A basic,
effective communication system that reaches community residents of all ages |
· Printed
information with large lettering, clear headings and bold-face type |
|
· Centralized
access to information |
· Computer training and public access to computers |
|
· Choice to speak
with someone (not just a recording) · Special efforts
to reach older adults at risk of social isolation |
· Minimized
communication barriers (low literacy, language) |
Understanding the habits and preferences of older people is
the key to effective communication. While
Canadian
seniors represent the age group least likely to use the Internet, the overall
rate of use is growing steadily.[49] In Ottawa, it was found that more affluent, educated, and younger seniors are more
likely to use modern technology such as email, the internet and cell phones.[50]
Of interest, 35% of Canadian older
adults use the Internet to search for government information (53% for boomers)
and 27% used the Internet for researching community events (42% for boomers).[51] It is expected that the increase in Internet
use rates among older Canadians will persist as boomers begin to move into their
older years.
For a portion of Ottawa older adults, language barriers can be an
issue. While almost all seniors in
Ottawa speak either English or French (or both), there are approximately 4,100 seniors who cannot speak either official language (4%
of the total seniors population).
In total, about 7% of the total older adult population do
not speak English well enough to carry on a conversation. The inability to speak English seems to be
more pronounced for adults over the age of 75 years old.
The City of Ottawa currently
communicates with older adults in the following ways:
·
A seniors’ section on the City of
Ottawa web site is dedicated to senior-specific information pertaining to
municipal programs and services.
·
A seniors section on the OC Transpo
web site is dedicated to senior riders.
·
Several hotlines are available for
seniors to use including the Access OC Hotline (OC Transpo), Ottawa Public
Health Information Line, and the Library Infoservice.
·
The City’s 3-1-1 line is also
available for general inquiries.
The ultimate goal of the Older Adult Plan project is to meet the
evolving needs of Ottawa older adults by optimizing the environment, policies
and services that are under City responsibility.
As a first step, it was important to provide the “lay of the land”
by gathering information about Ottawa older adults and the manner in which the
City of Ottawa currently serves this population, while taking into
consideration the broader community context.
A high level analysis of the information collected pointed to a number
of themes or opportunities to keep in consideration moving forward.
Corporate commitment
to older adults
It is clear that the City of Ottawa
already shows a strong commitment to serving and meeting the needs of older
adults and the initiation of the Older Adult Plan project confirms this. In addition, the Term of Council Strategic
Priorities recently identified older adults as a key target population.[52]
In the past, the Seniors’
Agenda (2005-2007) was successful at raising awareness of older adult issues
within the corporation, developing community partnerships, and moving several
older adult initiatives forward.[53]
The City of Ottawa also has a Seniors Advisory Committee, a
cross-departmental Seniors working group, and a
defined corporate older adult portfolio.
On a daily basis, the City provides a multitude of programs, services
and financial assistance to older adults, in all domains known to be essential
for active and healthy aging. Through
the community funding program, the City of Ottawa also provides $1.4 million to
more than 30 community agencies that provide various programs and services to
Ottawa older adults.
A few opportunities were identified that could build on
this foundation, including the establishment of a corporate definition and
terminology for seniors, the adoption of a corporate older adult “lens” to be
used consistently in policy and program planning, a formal link between the
Seniors Advisory Committee and staff working groups, increased accountability
for the staff working group, and a means to measure older adult satisfaction
with City services.
Cross-departmental
coordination
The
City of Ottawa’s commitment to the older population extends at the departmental
level. A few key client-centric
departments have dedicated staff to develop programs and work with the older
population and some departments have also began purposeful planning exercises
to analyze the impact of the projected demographic shifts on services and
establish plans as a response. However,
in the current model, departments have been operating more or less
independently from each other when it comes to older adult issues and this
so-called “silo” approach has been seen to result in fragmentation and
duplication of services.
The fact that the issues and challenges surrounding older
adulthood and active aging are multi-dimensional and interrelated in nature
suggests that a model supporting horizontal linking or cross-department key
points of contact would seem favourable.
In fact, there was found to be strong support within the City of Ottawa
for this idea of cross-departmental coordination and collaboration around older
adult issues, programs, and services. Cross-departmental collaboration would be
especially beneficial in the case of vulnerable older adults who are typically
connected to several services from various departments.
Meeting the needs of all older adults
The
demographic scan highlighted the wide diversity that exists within the older
adult population. Diversity takes many
forms including skills, physical abilities, ethnic backgrounds, languages, support systems, living arrangements, levels of education,
health and wealth. In addition, this
level of diversity is not expected to recede and will likely increase with the
coming of the baby boom generation.
The notion of striving to meet the
needs of all Ottawa older adults was found to be widely supported within the
City of Ottawa. The Equity and Inclusion
Lens already emphasizes the City’s commitment to inclusiveness. There are several City programs and services
targeting francophone older adults as well as those on low-income and/or with
disabilities. However, few are
specifically intended to serve the unique needs of older immigrants, and none specifically
support older adults from the Aboriginal or the gay and lesbian communities. Older rural residents are often at a
disadvantage as fewer programs and services are offered in these areas.
A
culture of inclusiveness underscores the importance of understanding the full
diversity of older adults and the unique needs, barriers, and expectations of
various segments. A process of continued
dialogue and consultation with groups of older adults with unique needs over
time will contribute to increasing this understanding. At this time, programming, services and
facilities can be targeted and tailored according to existing knowledge about
the geographic distribution and characteristics of various older adult
segments. There is also an opportunity
to pay particular attention to and support the most vulnerable older adults,
which were identified as women, seniors on low income, and those living
alone. Finally, the importance of
supporting caregivers of older adults was also noted by several staff members
who participated in focus groups.
The link with accessibility
efforts
The
City of Ottawa has been addressing accessibility issues in City services,
programs, by-laws, policies, practices, and buildings for several years,
through the Corporate Accessibility Office, assisted the Accessibility Working
Group and supported by the Accessibility Advisory Committee. New provincial legislation called the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), states that
municipalities, as well as businesses and organizations will have to meet
certain accessibility standards in five areas by 2025: customer service,
transportation, information and communications, employment, and the built
environment.
The link between accessibility and
older adults is obvious and a natural one.
The Accessibility Directorate of Ontario states that efforts in the area
of accessibility have undeniable benefits for all residents, including older
persons who are experiencing age-related mobility, hearing or vision issues.[54] For example, the
concept of universal design, which aims to make the built environment usable to
the greatest extent possible by everyone, is relevant to both persons with
disabilities and older adults. During the course of
the background research, many have recommended a stronger link between the corporate
older adult and accessibility portfolios to explore synergies and collaborative
opportunities.
The value of
community partnerships
The
City of Ottawa has a long history of partnering with community organizations
and contributing to various community-based coalitions and committees. As mentioned previously, the City of Ottawa
is currently a major partner in the Age Friendly Ottawa initiative and this
collaboration will continue over the coming months, in the form of joint public
consultations, and later during the development of respective action
plans.
City
departments with a large older adult clientele regularly participate in
community-led initiatives or partnerships aimed at enhancing the quality of
life or services for this population. The
City’s Community Funding program manages formal relationships with
approximately thirty organizations serving older adults. The community scan also revealed that there
are a multitude of community agencies specializing in serving segments of the
older adult population with very specific needs. Finally, interest for partnering with the
City of Ottawa was found to be high among the organizations consulted as part
of this project.
Therefore,
there is an opportunity for the City of Ottawa to leverage existing
partnerships, formal or informal, with community organizations for the benefit
of older adults. On a formal basis,
community-based partnerships would seem particularly indicated in the area of aging
in place. Such a model could also serve
as a means to reach older adults with very unique needs, or those living in
rural areas, especially when this capacity does not exist internally.
Design/redesign
for age friendly communities
The way communities are designed and built can have
a significant impact on the health and well-being of older adults and their
quality of life. Low density urban
development, dispersed development patterns, and automobile dependency all
present significant obstacles to the independence of older adults. A safe pedestrian environment, easy access to
shopping centres, a mix of housing choices, nearby health centres and
recreational facilities are all important elements that can positively affect
the aging experience.
Rapid population aging in the suburban and rural areas
of the city – and its implications – provides a reason to rethink how new
communities are designed and how existing communities can be redesigned to
remove some of the barriers faced by an increasing older population. However, the process of designing or
redesigning communities is a long one.
The City of Ottawa is uniquely positioned to be a leader in this field
by raising awareness among the community, developing and implementing age-friendly
community design plans, strategies and policies, and working collaboratively
with other major players in the housing industry.
Service Excellence at the City of
Ottawa involves rethinking the way services are delivered in order to enhance
client experiences, connect with clients, and improve public satisfaction with
City services. The City of Ottawa is
thoughtfully exploring how to best meet the needs of older adults now and in
the future, in light of significant projected demographic changes, through the
Older Adult Plan project.
To date, extensive background research has been
conducted which generated a large amount of information on the current and
future make-up of the older population, the implications of some key
demographic forces on the City of Ottawa, and the way in which the City of
Ottawa is currently organized to serve older adults. Several opportunities were identified moving
forward.
Phase II of the
Older Adult Plan project calls for public consultations with Ottawa older adults,
service providers, and caregivers.[55] This phase is important in order
to better quantify existing strengths and gaps in service delivery and pinpoint
specific and tangible opportunities for improvement in the eight key
service domains (as identified by the World Health Organization) including:
outdoor spaces and buildings; transportation; housing; respect and inclusion;
social participation; communication and information; civic participation and
employment; and health and social services.
The
secondary purpose of the consultations will be to gather information about the
unique needs of certain sub-groups of the older adult population: francophone, Aboriginal, immigrant, and gay and lesbian
older adults, as well as those on low income, living alone, living in rural
areas, or with disabilities. The focus groups will be structured using the
World Health Organization age-friendly research protocol.
Finally, Phase III of the project involves the
development of an action plan of concrete and actionable deliverables to
address the evolving needs of older adults living in Ottawa. [56] The findings of the research phase underscored the
need for the action plan to be anchored within the context of an overall
strategy, itself linked with the Council’s strategic priorities. In this respect, a corporate-wide strategy
would:
·
Create a cultural mind shift by
articulating the City’s commitment to older adults and providing a lens to
guide planning and programming for this population across the organization;
·
Define and articulate the City of
Ottawa’s roles and responsibilities in responding to the needs of older adults
and of an aging population. Doing so
would provide clarity to City of Ottawa staff, community players, and older adults
about how the City intends to act in a number of key areas and how
publicly-funded resources will be allocated.
·
Facilitate collaborative policy and
program development among departments to achieve alignment. A larger and more diverse aging population
will necessitate enhanced integration across multiple departments that provide
programs, services and supports to older adults.
The action plan,
anchored within the strategy, will
propose a series of concrete recommended actions that are prioritized and
aligned to a specific timeline (immediate, short-term, and longer-term). It
will also include rationale, projected benefit, estimated cost to implement,
proposed lead department or committee, monitoring indicators (for each
recommended action).
This action plan will be fully informed by and based on the research findings
and the input of Ottawa older adults with the goal of supporting active aging
through service enhancements, while proactively mitigating the impacts of the
projected demographic shifts.
Balance
of Care Research Group (2009). The Champlain Balance of Care Project: Final Report
.
Bess, I.
(1999). Seniors Behind the Wheel. Statistics Canada.
Canadian
Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2008). Impacts of the Aging of the Canadian
Population on Housing and Communities. Socio-economic Series Issue 08-003.
City
of Ottawa (2010). Equity
and Inclusion Lens: A User’s Guide, Ottawa: City
of Ottawa. Available at: http://ottawa.ca/doc_repository/guides/equity_inclusion_en.pdf.
Council
on Aging (2009). Fact
Book on Aging: Seniors in Ottawa.
Ottawa: Council on Aging.
Health
Canada, 1999. Canada’s
Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living for Older Adults. Minister
of Supply and Services
Hemson Consulting Ltd (2010). City of Ottawa Older Adult Plan: Demographic Characteristics Forecast
2006-2031. Ottawa: Hemson Consulting Ltd.
Hodge, G. (2009). The
Geography of Aging: Preparing Communities for the Surge in Seniors,
Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.
National Seniors Council.
(2010). Report of the National Seniors
Council on Volunteering among Seniors and Positive and
Active Aging. Government
of Canada.
Ontario
Professional Planning Institute (2009). Planning
for Age-Friendly Communities: A Call to Action. Available
at www.ontarioplanners.on.ca/pdf/Call%20to%20Action%20Age-Friendly%20Communities%20June%2018,%202009.pdf.
Statistics Canada (2009). Online Activities of Canadian Boomers and Seniors. (2008). Catalogue No. 11-008-X.
Statistics Canada (2006). A Portrait of Seniors
in Canada. Catalogue No. 89-519-XIE
Statistics
Canada (2003).
Canada’s
Retirement Programs: A Statistical Overview 1990-2000.
Social Data Research Ltd (2005). Successful
Aging Ottawa: 2004 Seniors Survey Report of Results.
World Health Organization (2007). Global Age Friendly Cities: A Guide, Geneva: WHO Press.
Available at www.who.int/ageing/publications/Global_age_friendly_cities_Guide_English.pdf.
We wish to acknowledge the championship, support, and
contribution of members of the City of Ottawa Older Adult Plan Steering
Committee, Inter-Departmental Staff Work Group, and Seniors Advisory Committee.
Thank you for your time and participation both during meetings and individual
discussions. Your input and guidance
informed and shaped the direction and contents of this report. We also would like to thank the numerous
community organizations that participated in conversations and supported the
process undertaken by the City of Ottawa.
Through dialogue, relationships were developed across City departments
and with community partners that will support the ongoing efforts of better
understanding Ottawa’s older adult population.
Older Adult Plan Steering Committee
Thanks to (in alphabetical order):
|
Marcia Aronson Jocelyne
Bégin Jennifer
Bionda Adam Brown Peter Dodsworth |
Clara Freire Raymond Garner Janice Marks Don Mason Esther Moghadam |
Paul
Sauvé Pat
Scrimgeour Norma
Strachan Christopher
Tuck |
Older Adult Plan Cross-Departmental Staff Work Group
Thanks to (in alphabetical order):
|
Bernard
Bélanger Lucille
Berlinguette-Saumure Isabelle
Bossé Jules Bouviers
Adam Brown Thomas Crowley |
Karen Devries André Gervais Susan Hall Rocco Iamello Myriam Jamault Kari Keays |
Jocelyne Marciano Mae-Ling Patey AJ Ryland Leslie Vanclief |
Seniors Advisory Committee
Thanks to (in alphabetical order):
|
Blake Batson Dianne
Breton Margaret
Dunn Raoul Larivière Pierre
Michaud |
Jacqueline Nyiramukwende Carol Rannie Margaret Saumweber Suzanne Sicard Peter
van Boeschoten |
[1] City of Ottawa, 2010; Successful
Aging Ottawa, 2005.
[2] Note that this document represents the first of
several reports, each summarizing one major phase/activity related to Older Adult
Plan project. As such, reports will be
prepared on the upcoming Seniors’ Summit, public
consultation phase, and older adult strategy/action plan.
[3] A Demographic and Socio-Economic Portrait of Ottawa
Seniors; City of Ottawa Older Adult Plan: Demographic Characteristics Forecast
2006-2031; City of Ottawa Inventory of Programs and Services for Older Adults.
[4] ACS2010-COS-ODP-0010 Older Adult Plan – Scope and Work Plan.
[5]World Health Organization, 2007.
[6] Canadian Mortgage and Housing
Corporation, 2008.
[7] The recent Champlain Balance of Care study (2009) reported
that approximately 14% of individuals currently waiting for a long-term care
placement in the Champlain region could safely remain in the family residence
with service-by-service delivery of supports (for a direct cost equal to or
less than the direct cost of a long-term care bed).
[8] Statistics Canada (Census (2006),
Small Area and Administrative Data Division (2007), Canadian Community Health
Survey (2009) and Successful Aging Ottawa survey (2005).
[9] The National
Capital Greenbelt, with a total area of 207.7 km2, provides a
separation between the urban area and the suburban area beyond it.
[10] Hemson Consulting Ltd, 2010.
[11] A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom, between 1946 and 1965. A significant number of people were born during that period, when compared to the smaller generations that came before and after.
[12]
Hemson Consulting Ltd, 2010.
[13] Of the Canadian seniors aged 65
to 74 who moved between 1996 and 2001, two-thirds remained in the same
geographic area in which they have previously resided. Thus, every community's
older population is largely (75% or more) made up of those who have lived there
for some time. Some have speculated that
“baby boomers” could have different predispositions and values towards moving. The research is divided on this topic.
[14] The new Inclusive Definition
of Francophone (IDF) recently adopted by the Office of Francophone Affairs of
the Ontario Government in 2009 is used. The new IDF estimates the number of persons whose mother
tongue is French, plus those people whose mother tongue is neither French nor
English (allophones) but who speak French.
[15] Hemson Consulting Ltd, 2010.
[16] Council on Aging, 2009.
[17] There are several
definitions of “Aboriginal”, including Aboriginal on reserve, Registered
Indian, person who identifies as Aboriginal, and person with Aboriginal
ancestry. In this report, Aboriginal
refers specifically to the Census definition which includes people who reported
identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, that is North American Indian,
Métis or Inuit, and/or those who reported being a Treaty Indian or a registered Indian as
defined by the Indian Act of Canada, and/or those who reported they were
members of an Indian band or First Nation.
[18] Hemson Consulting Ltd, 2010.
[19] Statistics Canada, 2008.
[20] Ontario Professional Planning
Institute, 2009.
[21]
Statistics
Canada, 2003.
[22] Statistics Canada uses the
concept of Low-Income Cut-Offs (LICOs) to estimate low income, which is a well
established and widely recognized approach.
In 2006, the After Tax Low Income
Cut-Off was set at $21,384 for a family of 2 people and at $17,570 for a family
of one person (for communities with populations larger than 500,000
individuals).
[23] A principle in the recreation master plan supports the
movement towards an ability to pay model and this was generally supported
through consultations on the Parks and Recreation proposed 50+ Recreation
Strategy.
[24] Hodge, 2009.
[25] Statistics Canada, 2006.
[26] Statistics Canada, 2006.
[27] Harris/Decima Survey, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2011/01/04/con-retirement-survey.html. These findings are
in line with those from a 2005 Merrill Lynch in-depth exploration of US baby
boomers and their views on retirement.
That study also supported the idea that boomers are not
interested in pursuing a traditional retirement of leisure. The retirement survey showed that 76% of US
baby boomers plan to keep working and earning an income during retirement, but will do so
by cycling between periods of work and leisure, thus creating a new model of
retirement.
[28] National Seniors Council, 2010.
[29] Statistics Canada, 2009.
[30] Successful Aging Ottawa, 2005.
[31] Bess, 1999.
[32] Term of Council 2011-2014 Priorities
(AC2001 -COS-ODP-0011), Document 1 – City of Ottawa Strategy Map.
[33] Successful Aging Ottawa, 2005.
[34] http://ottawa.ca/city_hall/master_plans/tmp/tmp_en.pdf
[35]
http://ottawa.ca/residents/onthemove/cycling/plan_2008_en.pdf
[36] http://ottawa.ca/residents/onthemove/walking/pedestrian/pedestrian_plan_en.html
[37] Please refer to the document Inventory of Programs and Services for Older Adults for a more
complete description.
[38] Council
on Aging, 2009. As reported by the Champlain Community Care Access Centre (CCAC), April 2009.
[39] Balance
of Care Research Group, 2009.
[40] Health Canada, 1999.
[41]Canadian Community Health
Survey, 2009. Respondents
are classified as active, moderately active or inactive based on an index of
average daily physical activity over the past 3 months. Active – Equivalent of walking an hour/day or jogging 20
minutes/day; Moderately active – Equivalent of walking 30 to 60 minutes/day or
taking an hour-long exercise class three times a week.
[42] Statistics Canada, 2006 survey
[43] Statistics Canada, 2010.
[44] Human Resources
Department, City of Ottawa
[45] Canadian Community Health Survey,
2009.
[46] Seniors’ Healthy Aging Strategy, ACS2011-OPH-HPDP-0001.
[47] Ibid.
[48] Ottawa Board of Health’s Strategic Priorities
ACS2011-OPH-IQS-003.
[49] Statistics Canada, 2009.
[50] Successful
Aging Ottawa Survey, 2005.
[51] Ibid.
[52] Term of Council 2011-2014 Priorities
(AC2001 -COS-ODP-0011), Document 1 – City of Ottawa Strategy Map.
[53] The Seniors’ Agenda
(2005-2007) was created as one of the Department of Community and Protective
Services Priority Project to identify and respond to priority areas and
strengthen partnerships with community based senior’s organizations.
[54] Accessibility Directorate of
Ontario, 2011.
[55] Note that focus groups will be conducted jointly with
the Age Friendly Ottawa Initiative during the period between October and
December 2011. A
clear methodology will be developed to identify issues and opportunities
directly under City of Ottawa responsibility, in order to strategically inform
the development of the older adult plan.
[56] This last phase of the project will be completed by
mid-2012.
