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By 2035, 30% of Canadians will be 60 or older. Many UN members have a national aging strategy, yet Canada does not.

It’s time for new era where all Canadians can age with choice and dignity. We need a national aging strategy to make sure everyone can age well, on their own terms—in the places we call home and in the communities we love.

What is a national aging strategy?

A national aging strategy sets the direction and co-ordinates efforts across sectors to build a future where older adults can thrive.

It also outlines meaningful quality of life for older adults, setting the course for equitable, sustainable systems that promote healthy aging for generations to come.

Our vision for better aging

Canadians have made their wishes clear. We want to stay in our homes and communities as we age. We want to have the independence, choice and the supports we need to live full lives connected to everything we love. 

We're ready to make these wishes a reality. That’s why the COURAGE National Aging Strategy Policy Statement proposes an inclusive framework that reflects the lived experiences of seniors across Canada and empowers older adults to age well.

Integrating health, housing and social services, our strategy focuses on:

  • fair and inclusive access to supports and resources

  • prevention and maintaining good function to promote high quality of life

  • strong community networks

  • mental and emotional well-being

  • financial security

  • age-friendly environments that support autonomy

  • Our strategy is grounded in a set of core values to ensure older adults can age with dignity, independence, and respect. Research shows that programs that follow these principles boast better outcomes in health, stability and overall well-being.

    1. Respect, compassion and dignity  

    2. Inclusivity, equity and cultural competence  

    3. Empowerment and independence  

    4. Holistic well-being  

    5. Intergenerational solidarity  

    6. Safety and security

  • The COURAGE National Aging Strategy is underpinned by three pillars to empower older adults to live healthy, full lives.

    Integrated services and multidisciplinary care
    Keeping older adults independent for as long as possible through integrated health, housing and social services is key to aging well. This includes multidisciplinary care that evolves along with individual needs, from early adulthood to older age.

    Address system gaps
    Improving care for all Canadians means closing gaps in healthcare and social services access. Older adults, regardless of their financial status, background or location, should have equitable access to care.

    Addressing ageism and prejudice and recognizing the racial and sexual diversity of older adults is essential to equitable, personalized care.

    Foster community and social support networks
    Strong community networks are a cornerstone of aging in place. They improve health outcomes and allow older adults to maintain dignity and independence within their own homes.

    By providing essential services such as health monitoring, mental health support and caregiving, community-based organizations help older adults stay healthy and connected.

  • Canada needs a federal mandate that requires provinces to use integrated care approaches to receiving federal funding. Our policy statement recommends key actions of the federal government for a new era of aging.

    Legislative framework
    Engagement with provincial governments, healthcare providers, housing authorities, social service organizations and seniors-focused organizations is critical to develop comprehensive legislation that outlines integrated care. The legislation should define integrated care, set compliance criteria and outline accountability mechanisms.

    Funding allocation criteria
    Funding programs need to be amended with conditions that require provinces to install integrated care approaches. Federal transfers, such as the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and the Canada Social Transfer (CST), should be tied to these conditions.

    This step includes identifying performance metrics and indicators that provinces must meet to qualify for funding. Metrics should reflect outcomes in health, housing stability and social well-being.

    Implementation and monitoring
    Provinces should be required to submit detailed plans outlining how they will achieve and maintain integrated approaches across health, housing and social services. Regular reporting should include data that illustrates how each province is progressing.

    Additionally, a centralized office should be created to track and report on integrated services outcomes, akin to the Chief Accessibility Officer’s mandate to improve disability accessibility outcomes.

    Support and capacity building
    Canada needs federal support programs to help provinces develop and implement integrated care approaches. This could include project funding, technical assistance and capacity-building.

    A national forum for sharing best practices and successful case studies among provinces should also be established to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange. And ongoing federal support should be available to organizations that promote, develop and share innovations.

    Funding programs to support integrated care
    In addition to sustaining financial benefits for seniors—including Canadian Pension Plan, Guaranteed Income Supplement and Old Age Security—we propose further leveraging the following programs to support integrated care approaches:

    • Employment and Social Development Canada

    • Canada Health Transfer

    • National Housing Strategy

    • Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy

    • Aging with Dignity

    • Safe Long-Term Care Act

    • Statistics Canada

Key documents

Policy statement

Canada needs a national aging strategy

Singapore’s national aging strategy: A success story