Aging in community

Aging in community (or aging in place) means having the health and social supports and services needed to live safely and independently in your home or community for as long as you wish and are able.

It is important for people of all ages to create a plan to help ensure that health and social supports are available for them and their loved ones when and where they are needed.

Making choices ahead of time will give Albertans greater control over their independence, quality of life and dignity.

When considering aging in your community, it is important to consider the following areas of your life:

  • health
  • home
  • transportation
  • finances
  • connections
  • safety
  • supports and services
  • community
  • spouse/partner

The resources below will help you create a plan for how to age in your community.

Publications

The resources below were prepared by the Forum of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors.

Videos

Government supports

The Government of Alberta also provides or funds other resources, programs and services to support aging in community. They include:

Community profiles

The senior’s community profiles provide a broad range of demographic, socio-economic, and population health statistics considered relevant to seniors across the province. Each profile offers an overview of the current state of communities as they relate to seniors.

These reports are intended to assist with local planning by seniors-serving organizations. The information is to be used along with local knowledge to highlight the needs of seniors.

Read the Seniors’ community profiles

Note: the province is divided into 5 main health service zones for local planning. These zones are subdivided into 132 smaller geographic areas called local geographic areas (LGAs).

Caring for caregivers

Many Albertans are or will become carers to someone they love, helping with everything from transportation, personal care, medical care, housekeeping, financial management, social/emotional support and advocacy.

Strategies and tips are available to help you support your loved one while also taking care of yourself. The collection of resources available below will help you:

  • understand how caregiving can affect you
  • understand your role in supporting the person's needs and wishes
  • understand your role in their health care
  • learn how to improve their quality of life
  • learn how to maintain your own health and wellbeing
  • get tips that will help you talk to your employer about your role as a caregiver
  • understand how your employer can help you balance caregiving and work

The following resources were prepared by the Forum of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors.

Publications

Additional resources are available through Caregivers Alberta, an organization that provides group and one-on-one supports for caregivers.

Learn more about Alberta Caregiver College.

Reducing social isolation for seniors

Social isolation and exclusion can be a significant issue for many seniors, and can lead to negative health effects including depression and a reduced sense of well-being.

Healthy, socially engaged seniors bring many benefits to their communities. They work, volunteer and contribute a wealth of experience to families, neighbourhoods and organizations of all kinds.

Research shows that around 30% of Canadian seniors are at risk of becoming socially isolated.

Social isolation is one of several risk factors in elder abuse situations. If you or someone you know is experiencing elder abuse, see the Get help – Elder abuse page to get help. A social isolation resource kit is available to help raise awareness and understanding of social isolation.

Below are 2 toolkits and 3 supplements to help individuals and communities better understand the issue of social isolation and identify ways to address and prevent it. The supplements were developed to help respond to the needs of 3 groups of seniors believed to be at higher risk of social isolation: Indigenous seniors, LGBTQ2S+ seniors, and recent immigrant and refugee seniors.

These resources were prepared by the Forum of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors.

Toolkits

Supplements

Alberta's aging population

The population of seniors in Alberta continues to rise faster than other age groups. As of September 30, 2022, more than 725,000 Albertans were over the age of 65. That number is expected to double within the next 2 decades.

Today’s seniors:

  • are living longer and healthier lives
  • have higher education levels
  • are working longer
  • serve their communities through volunteering, civic engagement and charitable donations

To address the challenges experienced by some mature workers the following resources were prepared by the Forum of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Seniors.

Publications

As seniors age, their chances of requiring health and social supports increases.

To ensure government can meet the needs of seniors, the Government of Alberta developed Alberta’s Aging Population Policy Framework. This framework:

  • outlines the roles and responsibilities of governments, public and private organizations, communities and all Albertans
  • provides a roadmap for future decisions about policies, programs and supports
  • supports programs and services that are efficient, affordable and sustainable

Aging Population Policy Framework – Executive Summary

Contact

Connect with Seniors Strategies and Program Support:

Email: [email protected]