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

by Gerald Hodge

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.

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2008