Care for Older Adults in Canada – Whether You Are One or Are Supporting One
Insights, tips, and resources
Published: July 2025
Key Takeaways
- Aging Population Growth – Canada’s population is aging rapidly, with more than 11,000 centenarians and nearly eight million people over the age of 65.
- By 2037, this number is expected to reach 10 million.
- Age-Inclusive Language Matters – Terms like “silver tsunami” can be stigmatizing.
- Instead, use respectful, inclusive language and avoid reinforcing stereotypes.
- Loneliness vs. Social Isolation – Social isolation is an objective lack of connections, while loneliness is a subjective feeling.
- Mattering and Belonging are Crucial – Feeling valued and connected to others supports mental resilience.
- Social Prescribing as a Public Health Approach – Prescribing group activities, community engagement programs, and similar initiatives can significantly reduce loneliness and even lower the risk of dementia by 47%.
- Intergenerational Programs Foster Connection – Programs and community hubs that integrate long-term care into public spaces help older adults stay socially engaged and contribute to community well-being.
- City Planning for an Age-Friendly Society – Safe, accessible public spaces, green areas, good transit, and well-maintained infrastructure help reduce loneliness and promote active aging, making cities more inclusive for older adults.
Triple digits! Joining the Centenarian Club
Recently, the number of Canadians who’ve made a wish and tried to blow out 100 candles on a birthday cake hit a new high. There are now more than 11,000 centenarians in Canada, which is roughly three times as many as there were 25 years ago. That’s a good thing, of course. Improved public health measures, as well as medical and surgical advances have increased our lifespan and that’s a major factor driving the growth of older demographics.
That said, even though healthcare is better, when it comes to keeping older populations healthy, it’s clear that there’s work to be done. These are complex issues that require an overhaul in the way we think about and promote positive mental health outcomes in older adults.
How We Talk About Ourselves: On Stigma and Age-Inclusive Language
For starters, it’s time to shelve terms like “silver tsunami,” “demographic cliff,” or even “silver wave” when we talk about demographic shifts. Although we’ve heard these used in the media, comparing a demographic to a tsunami implies that the older adult population is a potentially dangerous threat, often based in an idea that older adults represent a burden on healthcare and other social services.
- Replace words that have negative connotations with inclusive language.
- Avoid negative terms like: “old person,” “geriatric,” “the aged,” “elderly,” “the old-old,” or “senior citizen.”
- Instead, use terms like “older adults,” or “older person.”
- Alternatively, use specific numbers, such as “people over 50.”
- Instead of using “they” or “them,” use “we” and “us.” We’re all aging, after all.
- No matter how well-meant, some positive terms, euphemisms and clichés such as “golden years,” “young at heart,” “of a certain age,” “aging well,” “successful aging” and “super-agers” also pose a problem.
- Some are condescending; others reinforce stereotypes.
- The latter three imply there’s a right way and a wrong way to age and place the responsibility for healthy aging on the individual.
- Avoid describing older adults as weak, cognitively impaired, frail, dependent, suffering or vulnerable. It’s also important to avoid using clichéd imagery of older adults that convey similar messages.
- Ageism can cause longer-term declines in memory function, an increased risk of developing dementia, and decreased life expectancy, according to the Government of Canada’s Discussion Guide on Ageism in Canada.
Useful resources:
Loneliness and Social Isolation – What’s the Difference?
Even though there is an overlap between social isolation and loneliness and the terms are often used interchangeably, they aren’t the same thing.
- Social isolation is quantifiable and can be discussed in terms of the number of relationships and interactions people have on a regular basis.
- It’s an objective experience.
- Loneliness is less quantifiable, because it’s more about the quality of relationships than the number.
- It’s considered a subjective feeling.
- It’s easier to address and reverse social isolation than loneliness.
- While social isolation and negative mental health outcomes are associated, not everyone has a negative experience when socially isolated. Some people enjoy solitude.
- Loneliness, on the other hand, is associated with depression, sadness and pain.
- It’s important to note that it’s considered normal to have feelings of loneliness at times.
- Chronic loneliness may be rooted in early life relationships and is frequently associated with social anxiety disorders and trauma.
- Loneliness is highly stigmatized, although that is beginning to change thanks to increased awareness, related to both the pandemic and new academic work in the field.
- A 2023 survey conducted by the Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health showed that 44 percent of respondents were reluctant to discuss loneliness with care providers because they’d be too embarrassed.
Key Concepts: Mattering, Belonging, and Anti-Mattering
In positive psychology circles, many researchers stress the importance of “belonging” and “mattering,” both of which are associated with resilience. There is a lot of correlation between the two and feeling like you matter is thought to have protective qualities that can help people get through stressful events, including social isolation.
- A Carleton University study found that higher belongingness is connected to better health outcomes for people of all ages—but particularly for older adults.
- Mattering is related to the concept of “belonging.”
- The two are correlated and both are important social psychology markers associated with positive mental health outcomes, but they’re distinct – because “mattering” is connected to having a sense of being valued by others and making a difference in their lives.
- Stigma is closely associated with “anti-mattering,” which is being made to feel unimportant and, in some cases, invisible.
- The correlation between loneliness and the feeling of not mattering is very robust.
- Researchers consider the combination of feeling alone and insignificant at the same time, especially high-risk for negative outcomes.
- Podcast: Learn more about mattering.
Social Health and Public Health – It’s a Big Deal
“Isolation and loneliness are not about personal struggling and challenges,” says Dr. Fereshteh Mehrabi, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University. “We need to think about it as a public health issue and we need to address it through policy.”
One of the many ways to address this is through social prescribing programs designed to address social determinants of health. This could look like being prescribed anything from cooking or art classes to joining a club for older adults at the local legion—and more.
- The Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing says that “older adults who participate in social activities have a 47 percent lower risk of developing dementia.”
- Many associations, from the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence to regional community centres for older adults have lately been investing in social prescribing programs.
- Public health advocates in cities like Luleå, Sweden, and Burnaby, B.C. have initiated “Say Hello” campaigns, encouraging people to smile, wave and “Say hi!” to passersby.
- In the Netherlands, one dog-walking application matches up older adults with free time with younger adults who can’t walk their pups in the daytime when they’re at work.
- An Edmonton grocery store created a slow line for people who want to chat with the clerk and other shoppers while their groceries are being rung up.
- England’s Tesco and Jumbo in the Netherlands have similar features.
Mix It Up! Intergenerational Programming
- Intergenerational programs like Men’s Sheds of Canada, help bring people together and pass on life skills from how to build a canoe to learning to make a great cappuccino. And share stories, of course.
- Canada Home Share helps housing insecure students find rooms in homes owned by older adults who might need occasional help with groceries and housework.
- Generationernes Hus (The House of Generations) in Denmark is a multi-generational residence with a designated number of care units for the elderly, family units, youth units, common areas, outdoor spaces, and a massive daycare.
- It’s often cited as a smart and inclusive community planning model by people with a specialization in public health.
- One multi-disciplinary team working on reimagining long-term care in Canada advocates for integrating long-term care facilities into community hubs.
- Carleton University researcher Dr. Susan Braedley says that long-term care facilities located in shopping malls and community centres in Norway allow residents to feel more connected to everyday life.
Up for A Chat? Public Space, City Planning, and Accessibility
“I’m a very big proponent of green spaces and public spaces,” says Eddy Elmer, a Vancouver gerontologist and research consultant specializing in aging and mental health. “I encourage people who are stuck in the cycle of loneliness is just go outside without necessarily intending to interact with anyone. If we happen to meet someone along the way and chat a bit, that’s an added bonus and can help us feel more positive and connected to people. Even small interactions with strangers can make a difference.”
- Research suggests that urban green spaces can reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation in older adults.
- For older adults to feel safe, though, city planning has to prioritize accessibility by keeping the streets well-maintained, well-lit and clean of snow.
- Good public transit and affordable housing is essential to being an age-friendly city.
- Age-friendly cities provide accessibility and opportunities for socialization and community participation, which go hand in hand with well-funded libraries, parks, and community centres.
- The World Health Organization lists eight interconnected domains of urban living for age-friendly cities, a framework that many municipalities use as guidelines.