Statistics Canada recently released new population data from the 2016 census and for the first time in the survey’s history, seniors outnumber children in Canada. The country's population experienced its greatest increase in the proportion of older people since Confederation, with 5.9 million Canadian seniors compared to 5.8 million Canadians age 14 and under. The aging of Canada’s population was influenced by the baby boomers who turned 65 in the last five years as well as increasing life expectancy. The latest census data also show a rapid increase in Canadians who are over the age of 100. There were just over 8200 centenarians with five times more women than men in this group. What does it all mean? It’s more important than ever to ensure that seniors and their caregivers have access to high-quality health information to support optimal aging. Research evidence on the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal provides valuable insights around four key considerations including: regular exercise, a healthy diet, social connections and mental wellbeing. Read our resources on these topics below, or browse our wide variety of additional health topics here.
Canada's aging population
Featured Resources
EXERCISE: Read more about the benefits of exercise for older adults
NUTRITION: A healthy diet is essential for optimal aging
MENTAL WELLBEING: Mental health is a key consideration to the healthy aging process
SOCIAL CONNECTIONS: Social connections play an important role in healthy aging
DISCLAIMER: These summaries are provided for informational purposes only. They are not a substitute for advice from your own health care professional. The summaries may be reproduced for not-for-profit educational purposes only. Any other uses must be approved by the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (info@mcmasteroptimalaging.org).
Many of our Blog Posts were written before the COVID-19 pandemic and thus do not necessarily reflect the latest public health recommendations. While the content of new and old blogs identify activities that support optimal aging, it is important to defer to the most current public health recommendations. Some of the activities suggested within these blogs may need to be modified or avoided altogether to comply with changing public health recommendations. To view the latest updates from the Public Health Agency of Canada, please visit their website.
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Support for the Portal is largely provided by the Labarge Optimal Aging Initiative. AGE-WELL is a contributing partner. Help us to continue to provide direct and easy access to evidence-based information on health and social conditions to help you stay healthy, active and engaged as you grow older. Donate Today.
