The Geography of Aging : Preparing Communities for the Surge in Seniors

A penetrating look at the coming increase in Canada's seniors, its effect on communities, and how to plan for it. __The Geography of Aging__ provides an essential perspective for gerontologists, community planners, service providers, and caregivers, as well as provincial and local policy-makers, to enable them to better respond to the needs of senior citizens now and in the future. Canada's baby boom generation is about to turn sixty-five. In barely a decade, the number of senior citizens in every city, town, and village will double - and most communities are largely unprepared to deal with the consequences for housing, transportation, and community services.Gerald Hodge uses the latest statistics to map the current and future spatial distribution of Canada's seniors and their diversity. Drawing on tested aging-environmental research and years of planning experience, he delineates the everyday geography of seniors and proposes a comprehensive framework for all communities - large and small, urban, suburban, and rural - that will allow them to respond to the needs of a rapidly aging population while recognizing the importance of maintaining the independence of their seniors.The Geography of Aging provides an essential perspective for gerontologists, community planners, service providers, and caregivers, as well as provincial and local policy-makers, to enable them to better respond to the needs of senior citizens now and in the future. Contents Tables and Figures Preface PART ONE: WHERE CANADA’S SENIORS LIVE 1 Perspectives for a Geography of Aging 2 Where Seniors Live in Canada 3 Community Contexts of Seniors PART TWO: HOW SENIORS USE COMMUNITY SPACE 4 Daily Life in Later Life 5 Seniors’ Community Geography PART THREE: FUTURE SENIORS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES 6 From Baby Boom to Seniors’ Surge 7 Impact of the Seniors’ Surge on Communities PART FOUR: PREPARING COMMUNITIES FOR THE SENIORS’ SURGE 8 Developing a Seniors’ Planning Perspective 9 Planning and Designing Senior-Smart Communities Appendix: Internet Resources on Aging and Community Environments Notes Index A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Gerald Hodge uses the latest statistics to map the current and future spatial distribution of Canada's seniors and their diversity. Drawing on tested aging-environmental research and years of planning experience, he delineates the everyday geography of seniors and proposes a comprehensive framework for all communities - large and small, urban, suburban, and rural - that will allow them to respond to the needs of a rapidly aging population while recognizing the importance of maintaining the independence of their seniors. -- Provided by publisher. Uses statistics to map the spatial distribution of Canada's seniors and their diversity. Drawing on tested aging-environmental research and years of planning experience, this title delineates the geography of seniors and proposes a comprehensive framework for many communities - large and small, urban, suburban, and rural.