More Canadians planning to continue living at home as they age, survey suggests

TORONTO — A new survey suggests more Canadians are planning to continue living at home as they age, rather than moving into a retirement or long-term care facility.

The survey of 1,517 Canadians was conducted online by the National Institute on Ageing at Toronto’s Ryerson University in late July.

Sixty per cent of respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic had changed their opinion on whether they’d arrange for themselves or an older loved one to live in a nursing or retirement home.

The number climbed to 70 per cent for respondents aged 65 and older.

Ninety-one per cent of respondents said they would try “to live safely and independently in their own home as long as possible.”

According to the institute’s tabulation of provincial data, more than three quarters of all deaths from COVID-19 in Canada have been among residents of long-term care homes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2020.

The Canadian Press