Healthcare In Canada: Focus On Seniors – Infograph

In the recent past, advances in medicine, commitments to more active lifestyles as well as the benefit of positive dietary choices have allowed us to live longer, healthier and more productive lives. However, as the population continues to age, the need of the hour is to proportionally expand home care services exclusively for the seniors. We bring to you some statistics that may help you make more informed decisions for those who may need health care support in the near future.

Who Are The People Receiving Home Care?

82.5% of people receiving home care are over the age 65. In addition to this, 61% of people living within the community and/or recently discharged from hospitals having some form of dementia, are among the many who have access to home care services.

Who Cares And How Much?

97% of people who need home care have an unpaid caregiver, wherein 50% of these caregivers are children or relatives. On an average, these caregivers provide 20 hours of support per week.

How Much Is Ontario Spending On Home Care?

In 2013, the Ontario government increased the amount invested in home and community care services by 5% annually for the next three years. This would amount to a whopping 260 million dollar increase for this fiscal year.

Who Are The People In Long Term Care?

As the number of people with dementia increase, the need for long term and specialized care has also escalated. 60% of people in long-term care are diagnosed with dementia and this number has witnessed an increase of 4% since 2008. Moreover, 45% of all long-term care residents have significant behavioral disorders wherein almost 32% take unsupervised medication for psychosis.

How Much Is Ontario Spending On Long Term Care?

Ontario spends 3.4 billion dollars annually on long term care homes, accounting for 7.5% of the provincial health budget. The average expenditure is $155.30 per day, which is very low as compared to other provinces.

Who Provides Direct Care In Long Term Care Homes?

In 2013, there were 45,000 individuals engaged in providing long term care. Of these, 88% were associated in providing direct care to the residents, 28,900 were Personal Support Workers, 1,650 were licensed Nurses and 3,600 were Allied Health Professionals.

Download this infographic.