Factors underlying the institutionalization of elderly persons in Canada

Using data from the Survey of Old Age Security and Canadian Pension Plan Retirement Recipients conducted by Health and Welfare Canada in 1987, this article estimates the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and institutionalization of elderly persons in Canada. Region of residence was introduced in our model as a proxy for system effects. Logistic regression showed that age, marital status, health, family income, and region of residence all have a significant effect on institutionalization. We look at policies specific to different provinces to elaborate some hypotheses on how they affect the likelihood of residing in an institution. When trying to estimate the future needs and costs of institutional housing, this study shows the importance of considering not only the number of persons aged 65 years and over, but also expected changes in their sociodemographic characteristics and in the policies concerning long-term care services.