A study showed that seniors who live alone, without families or in isolation from their families, have the most difficult time coping with limited income, and are likely to experience extreme isolation. Moreover, the proportion of live-alone seniors is rising.

In 1996, 29% of seniors lived by themselves, up from 27% in 1981 and 20% in 1971. By comparison, only 9% of people between the ages of 15 and 64 in 1996 lived alone.

Elderly women, especially those in older age ranges, are far less likely than elderly men to be living with family members. In 1996, only 40% of women aged 85 and over and 49% of those aged 75 to 84 lived with members of their family. The percentage of senior women living with their spouse declines sharply with age.

As the elderly population becomes a larger part of the Canadian population, the national costs of providing health care will increase dramatically.

At the same time, the employed labour force base required to support this population will fall as a proportion of the national population. This base will not only have to support a growing elderly population, it will have to provide the tax revenue for schools, the construction of water and sewer systems, the maintenance of the national transportation system, and all other public functions. Clearly, costs will be cut wherever possible.

One area in which care for the elderly can be reduced is: institutional care. Research based on British Columbia estimated that it cost an average of $5,413 annually to care for a patient at home, compared with $12,504 in an institution.

The research demonstrates that these savings are realized even when extraordinary costs related to home care are factored in, such as more emergency room and physician visits, higher prescription-drug use, homemaking services and adult daycare.