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Aging and Disability

By By Olga Krassioukova-Enns, Laura Rempel, Colleen Watters and Christine Ogaranko, Canadian Centre On Tue, Sep 8th, 2009

Recent studies show that Canada's population is aging. It is estimated that in 2001, there were 3.92 million Canadians seniors (age 65 and over). It is anticipated that as the baby boomer generation (people born between 1946 and 1965) ages, the number of seniors is expected to reach 6.7 million in 2021 and 9.2 million in 2041 (nearly one in four Canadians). Seniors are the fastest-growing population group in Canada overall, with the most notable increase occurring among the oldest Canadians. In 2001, more than 430,000 Canadians were age 85 and over, and this age group is expected to increase to 1.6 million individuals by 2041, or 4% of the overall population (Health Canada, 2002).

There is evidence that as population ages, the rate of increases, demonstrating a direct relation- ship between the two. The Participation and Activity Limitation Survey (PALS) 2006 conducted by Statistics Canada was designed to collect information on adults and children who have a disability. The survey defines disability as self-reported limitations in everyday activities due to a physical or psychological condition or to a health condition. The data revealed that among children ages 0 to 14,  3.7%, reported a disability, with the rate increasing to 11.5% among individuals aged 15 to 64, and further increasing to 43.4% among persons aged 65 and over. Furthermore, more than half (56.3%) of persons aged 75 and over reported having an activity limitation (Statistics Canada, 2007). However, an aging population does not account entirely for the increasing rates of disability. Other factors such as changes in the perceptions of Canadians towards their limitations and an increased willingness to report them all contribute to the increased disability rates.

Despite the evidence showing the increasing numbers of seniors experiencing disability, senior and disability sectors have historically been addressed separately in both the health and social service and policy realms. As a result, barriers have been created to receiving supports and services needed to attain quality of life. Combined approaches to service delivery and policy development are necessary to ensure that seniors with disabilities can fully participate in the community.

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