Connecting Memories with Nature: Opportunities for Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities in Mid-Sized Cities

Abstract

Canada, like other Western countries, is facing the challenge of providing care for an increasingly large elderly population. Indeed data suggest that the Canadian elderly population will double by 2036 (Statistics Canada 2006). In Ontario, this means that the population of people over 65 years old may increase from 1.8 million in 2009 (i.e., 13.7% of the population) to 4.2 million or 23.4% by 2036 (Ontario 2009). Society encourages elderly people to stay in their homes for as long as they can, but this often becomes impossible unless constant personal care can be provided by a parent or personal caretaker. The current economic and time constraints facing children of elderly people make it difficult for them to be able to consider full-time care of an elderly parent. In most cases, and especially for individuals suffering from dementia, placement in a long-term care (LTC) facility is often the only solution. While residents in some of these facilities may have gradual levels of independencies, in many of them residents have limited mobility. Residents in LTC facilities have a decreased sense of well-being compared to their counterparts living in other types of housing, such as their own homes or retirement facilities (Cummings 2002).