The Need
In 2012, seniors 85 years of age plus have become the fastest growing segment of Canadian society.
As the community ages, there is greater strain on our social service agencies and many seniors, unable to access adequate services, and lacking family to help them cope, go without.
In many societies, seniors are honoured for the knowledge and wisdom they carry. In our society, they are the forgotten generation, and their plight goes unnoticed by the media, government and society in general.
The reality is that thousands of seniors approaching the end of the lives find themselves living out of balance and in abject poverty. They’re marginalized, isolated and depressed with nowhere to turn.
These are our parents, our grandparents, our aunts and uncles.
That’s why Seniors In Need aims to change this by working with Canada’s most reputable social service and nonprofit agencies to connect seniors in need with those who want to help.
Statistics
- Back in 2008, Statistics Canada put the number of seniors living in poverty at 5.8 (17.1% for single elderly women). That was before the global recession…
- The number of seniors in Canada is projected to increase from 4.2 million to 9.8 million between 2005 and 2036, and seniors' share of the population is expected to almost double, increasing from 13.2% to 24.5%
- Since the recession hit in 2008, new numbers are hard to source but anecdotally, we know the numbers are significantly higher…
- We do know that the number of seniors living below Statistics Canada’s low-income cut-off jumped nearly 25 per cent between 2007 and 2008, to 250,000 from 204,000, according to Campaign 2000.
- Economists say women make up as much as 80 per cent of the increase in seniors poverty (Globe and Mail, Nov 25, 2010)
- Roughly 40 per cent of seniors live in households with incomes below $30,000 (Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)
- More than 150,000 eligible seniors across Canada do not currently receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement designed to help low-income seniors (Perspectives on Labour and Income, July 2009. Statistics Canada)
- 6.3% of households assisted by food banks report that a pension is their primary source of income (HungerCount 2009. Food Banks Canada)
