{"id":91269,"date":"2025-10-09T11:11:17","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T15:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/?p=91269"},"modified":"2025-10-09T11:26:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T15:26:02","slug":"growing-old-in-greater-montreal-realities-and-barriers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/blog\/growing-old-in-greater-montreal-realities-and-barriers\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing old in Greater Montreal: Realities and barriers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In Greater Montreal, nearly one in six\u2014or 770,000&nbsp;people\u2014is aged 65 and over. Around 104,000 are above the age of 85, with 965&nbsp;people having made it over the century mark. While some seniors lead very active lives pursuing their goals and hobbies, others face isolation, financial problems, housing challenges, and losses of independence. Economically speaking, 4.7% of this population experiences poverty, while 18.5% live in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/living-in-a-situation-of-poverty\/#revenue\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">precarious conditions<\/a> just above this critical threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading is-style-little-title\"><strong><strong>Not just one senior reality<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The word \u201csenior\u201d covers a wide range of ages and circumstances. While statistics generally only include people aged 65 and up, some community agencies serve people starting from the age of 50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Different age groups have different needs. For example, people aged 65 to 74 mainly want to sustain an active social life, while 75- to 84-year-olds prioritize health, safety and staying at home. As people move into the 85 and over bracket, they often require more support for their daily activities, for isolation prevention, and for their psychological well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This range speaks to the importance of a well-coordinated continuum of community and institutional services\u2014from local roundtables to specialized agencies\u2014to effectively address these diverse needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n  <section id=\"block_609e595047fa2abaf68f03bdb2e047de\"  class=\"block-accordions aligndefault\">\n          <div class=\"faq-item accordion\">\n        <button class=\"faq-item__header accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-6a02ce35f1a84\">\n          <p class=\"faq-item__title\">Social isolation: A quiet crisis<\/p>\n          <i class=\"icon icon-arrow-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"faq-item__content accordion-content entry-content\" style=\"display:none;\" id=\"faq-6a02ce35f1a84\">\n          <div class=\"entry-content alignfull\">\n          \n                          <p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Social isolation is one of the main threats as people age. Over the years, their friendship networks shrink and they have fewer opportunities to get out of the house. Add physical and financial limitations, and seniors\u2019 social lives become very devitalized. The impacts are far from benign, as mental health often suffers from a lack of socialization.<\/p>\n<p>According to a 2024 public health survey, nearly one in four seniors would have engaged in more social or recreational activities in the previous year. Women and younger seniors most often express this desire that comes up against concrete obstacles, such as a lack of knowledge of available resources, physical or mental health problems, social withdrawal, or a lack of finances.<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<p>The pandemic only made these problems worse. The same survey showed that one in five people aged 55 and over in Greater Montreal has often felt isolated since 2020, a feeling that is particularly noticeable among specific groups: 23% of women, 28% of people living alone, 26% of people living with functional limitations, and nearly half (46%) of seniors who have recently immigrated.<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->                                  <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n          <div class=\"faq-item accordion\">\n        <button class=\"faq-item__header accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-6a02ce35f1d8c\">\n          <p class=\"faq-item__title\">Staying independent at home: A key issue<\/p>\n          <i class=\"icon icon-arrow-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"faq-item__content accordion-content entry-content\" style=\"display:none;\" id=\"faq-6a02ce35f1d8c\">\n          <div class=\"entry-content alignfull\">\n          \n                          <p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Although people want to grow old and stay in their own homes for as long as possible, doing so can become a complex affair due to losses of independence, poorly adapted homes, and the high cost of private seniors\u2019 residences (PSR).<\/p>\n<p>However, moving to a residence is very expensive, as the average cost of an apartment with services in Montreal is over $4,000 a month. In Laval and on the South Shore, these fees fluctuate around $2,250 for a unit without care but climb to $4,000 if medical support is provided.<sup>2<\/sup> These expenses put many seniors in a precarious financial situation.<\/p>\n<p>Added to this is the worrying trend of PSR closures. In fact, between October 2023 and September 2024, 87 PSRs stopped operating in Quebec, forcing more than 1,400 seniors out of their units. In Greater Montreal, areas hit particularly hard were Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie (15 closures) and the east sector of the Island (11 closures), leaving more than 455 seniors without a home.<sup>3<\/sup><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->                                  <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n          <div class=\"faq-item accordion\">\n        <button class=\"faq-item__header accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-6a02ce35f1fa0\">\n          <p class=\"faq-item__title\">Homelessness among seniors: A growing reality<\/p>\n          <i class=\"icon icon-arrow-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"faq-item__content accordion-content entry-content\" style=\"display:none;\" id=\"faq-6a02ce35f1fa0\">\n          <div class=\"entry-content alignfull\">\n          \n                          <p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Homelessness in Quebec is on the rise for all age groups, and seniors are no exception. In the Greater Montreal territory, they take up a growing share of these counts. Although the number of people aged 65 in this population was already a concern, the trend is even more salient when we add people aged 50 plus.<\/p>\n<p>Between 2018 and 2022, there was a sharp rise in people aged 65 and over in a situation of homelessness: from 6.2% to 9.9% in Montreal, from 3% to 4.2% in Laval, and from 4.6% to 5.1% in Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie. These increases reveal a worrying phenomenon that more seniors are losing not just their homes but also their social networks and becoming very vulnerable in the process.<sup>4<\/sup><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->                                  <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n          <div class=\"faq-item accordion\">\n        <button class=\"faq-item__header accordion-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-6a02ce35f2284\">\n          <p class=\"faq-item__title\">Many more challenges ahead<\/p>\n          <i class=\"icon icon-arrow-down\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n        <\/button>\n        <div class=\"faq-item__content accordion-content entry-content\" style=\"display:none;\" id=\"faq-6a02ce35f2284\">\n          <div class=\"entry-content alignfull\">\n          \n                          <p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>The province has enacted an action plan to fight <strong>abuse<\/strong>, one of the few areas where special attention is paid to seniors from immigrant backgrounds, English-speaking seniors, and Indigenous seniors, with approaches adapted to their specific realities.<\/p>\n<p>The role of<strong> family caregivers<\/strong>\u2014a significant number of whom are also seniors\u2014is also gaining traction as a government priority.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI); digital participation;<\/strong> and access to safe, adapted <strong>transport<\/strong> are other issues to consider.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Climate change<\/strong> is also making seniors more vulnerable.\u00a0 Heat waves, extreme cold, and other climate hazards create more work for community agencies, which have to set up weather shelters and take preventive action to protect the health and safety of this population.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->                                  <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      <\/section>\n  \n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"609\" height=\"85\" src=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Separateur_corpo_1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44527\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:386px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Separateur_corpo_1-1.png 609w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Separateur_corpo_1-1-300x42.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center is-style-little-title\"><strong>Centraide: A key stakeholder for seniors\u2019 independence and inclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Centraide of Greater Montreal invests over $2.1 million in programs to strengthen the independence, social inclusion, and social fabric of seniors. The focus is on initiatives \u201cfor, by and with\u201d seniors in sectors where the health network does not always deliver services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:7px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc4d <strong>These initiatives:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:7px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keep seniors active and involved in their communities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote social connection and prevent isolation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support volunteer action and citizen involvement<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>However, programs exclusively for seniors do not represent the full scope of Centraide\u2019s action. Many partners in fields ranging from housing and food security to family support serve this population in a cross-disciplinary way to offer a broader and more integrated safety net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:7px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83e\udd1d <strong>The agencies supported by Centraide:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Accompany people and provide them with transportation to medical appointments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide them with grocery support and daily assistance services<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make friendship calls or socialization visits<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Run social and cultural activities to strengthen community ties<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Organize mentoring activities with young people or young families<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set up volunteer opportunities to help people stay active and engaged<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:25% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Andree-Daoud-edited-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Femme souriante\" class=\"wp-image-90252 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Andree-Daoud-edited-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Andree-Daoud-edited-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Andree-Daoud-edited-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Andree-Daoud-edited-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Andree-Daoud-edited-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Andree-Daoud-edited-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Andree-Daoud-edited-440x440.jpg 440w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>For 40 years, Centre SCAMA has been serving seniors with reduced independence, providing services and activities that let them stay active and connected to their community while continuing to live in their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:12px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-dark-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/blog\/here-were-not-gray-were-alive-the-lives-of-seniors-at-the-scama-center\/\" style=\"border-radius:0px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read our article<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-white-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center is-style-little-title\">\u2705 <strong>Main takeaways<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>18% of Greater Montreal\u2019s population is aged 65 and over, representing more than 770,000&nbsp;people. Around 104,000 are over&nbsp;85, and 965 are centenarians.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1 in 3 seniors (31.4%) lives alone, a share that exceeds 50% in some of Montreal\u2019s central neighbourhoods, such as the Centre-Est or Sud-Ouest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4.7% of seniors live in a situation of poverty; however, 18.5% are just above the low-income cut-off and are still in a precarious situation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>40% of seniors who live alone spend over 30% of their income on housing, which is double the average for seniors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sources:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l&#8217;\u00cele-de-Montr\u00e9al, Direction r\u00e9gionale de sant\u00e9 publique<\/strong> (2024). <em>Enqu\u00eate montr\u00e9alaise sur les conditions sociales et la participation des personnes de 55 ans et plus<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Logis Retraite (2025).<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/logisretraite.com\/quel-est-le-prix-dun-logement-en-rpa-a-montreal-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Quel est le prix d\u2019un logement en RPA \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al ?<\/a><\/em> [Website]. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Association qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise des retrait\u00e9(e)s des secteurs publics et parapublics (AQRP) (2024). <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aqrp.ca\/documentation\/communiques-de-presse\/2025\/02\/fermetures-de-rpa-plus-de-1400-locataires-evinces-en-2024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Fermetures de RPA : plus de 1\u202f400 locataires \u00e9vinc\u00e9s en 2024<\/em>. <\/a>[Press release].<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Direction r\u00e9gionale de sant\u00e9 publique, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l&#8217;\u00cele-de-Montr\u00e9al (2024).<\/strong><a> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/santepubliquemontreal.ca\/sites\/drsp\/files\/media\/document\/DRSP_Pub_2024_11_18_DenombrementItinerance_5_GroupesAge.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montreal\u2019s 2022 point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness.<\/a><em> <\/em>(Portrait by age group.) [PDF]<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>All other data comes from Statistics Canada\u2019s 2021 census.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center is-style-middle-title\"><strong>1 out of 5 people receives our help. <br>5 out of 5 people benefit from it.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"block-stylised-title theme-block aligndefault\" id=\"block_2d1f4574992f49c0b8927542721bb7ce\" style=\"text-align: center\">                            <span class=\"block-stylised-title__line block-stylised-title__line--big-thin\"><b><font size=\"6\">Let&#8217;s all lend a hand<\/font><\/b><\/span>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:18px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons alignfull is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-499968f5 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-grey-background-color has-background has-large-font-size has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/secure.centraide-mtl.org\/registrant\/DonationPage.aspx?EventID=389613&amp;LangPref=en-CA&amp;Referrer=blogue\" style=\"border-radius:0px\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>DONATE<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Supporting a network of over 375 community agencies also means promoting an inclusive, poverty-free society.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Greater Montreal, nearly one in six\u2014or 770,000&nbsp;people\u2014is aged 65 and over. Around 104,000 are above the age of 85, with 965&nbsp;people having made it over the century mark. While some seniors lead very active&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":91313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[674],"tags":[681,683],"content-type":[493],"sector":[30,31,32,45],"class_list":["post-91269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-inclusion","tag-exclusion","tag-seniors","content-type-articles-en","sector-laval","sector-rive-sud","sector-hors-territoire","sector-ile-de-montreal"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-19 02:52:38","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91269"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91327,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91269\/revisions\/91327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91269"},{"taxonomy":"content-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-type?post=91269"},{"taxonomy":"sector","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.centraide-mtl.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sector?post=91269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}