Waterloo’s Age Friendly Committee releases comprehensive report on seniors’ housing

Waterloo’s Age Friendly Committee is pleased to announce the release of the Alternatives to Long-Term Care & Housing: Environmental Scan report, on alternatives to long-term care and types of housing for older adults. The report, by graduate students from the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning under the leadership of Dr. John Lewis, is intended to help support the development of approaches to housing and care that facilitate comfort, dignity, and autonomy for older adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that there are many opportunities to improve housing situations throughout communities, including those for older adults who may be isolated within their homes or care facilities. The Alternatives to Long-Term Care and Housing: Environmental Scan recommends that aging in community models need to be a planning priority for governments and Ontario’s aging population. Aging in community, staying in one’s home amid familiar surroundings, has many mental and physical health benefits.

While 56,500 older adults in Ontario live in private retirement homes, and another 78,000 live in publicly funded long-term homes, 94 per cent of the 2.5 million people in Ontario over the age of 65 live in other types of accommodation, including their own homes and apartments.

The report provides a conceptual framework explaining the existing and alternative approaches for housing and care, focusing on aging in the community, rather than aging in place or aging in care. The environmental scan presents options for alternative housing and care models that facilitate aging in community, and identifies barriers and opportunities for implementing these models.

One example is Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs), areas of a city where the majority of the residents are over 60 years old, but the locations were not specifically designed or planned for seniors. These can include apartment buildings, condominiums, and single-family home neighbourhoods. NORCs are typically vibrant communities where residents are physically and socially active, and represent a healthy example of aging in community. Sustaining NORCs with “senior-friendly” support service programs to enable residents to age in their community is just one opportunity for city leaders and planners.

As the City of Waterloo celebrates Seniors Month, city staff look forward to using the information in the report to inform their work in Age Friendly planning. Supporting our older adults to age in community, encouraging them to feel included and fostering a sense of belonging contributes to the goal of healthy, resilient neighbourhoods.

The School of Planning at the University of Waterloo regularly works with local governments and community groups to provide research and information on local issues and concerns. This report will support those seeking to find alternatives to Ontario’s long-term care facilities.

To read the full report, please go to the Age Friendly Committee section of the City of Waterloo website: http://www.waterloo.ca/age-friendly-housing-report.  

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Report information contacts:

Dr. John Lewis
School of Planning, University of Waterloo
J7lewis@uwaterloo.ca

Dr. Jenny Flagler-George
Chair of the Waterloo Age Friendly Committee
jflagler@uwaterloo.ca

Media contact:

Cari Van Niekerk
Manager, Corporate Communications
cari.vanniekerk@waterloo.ca