Canada ranks high for quality of life, including employment, health status, income security, and other indicators. Canadian seniors are generally healthy, satisfied with their personal relationships, achievements, and quality of life.

A HelpAge International study with respondents from 96 countries reveals that Canada is a good place to retire and grow old. The study is based on indicators such as enabling environment, education and employment capabilities, health, and income security. The country ranks 4th after Germany, Sweden, Norway, and Switzerland and performs well in terms of educational status, employment rate, pension income, and health. Released in 2018, the Monitoring Seniors Services report looks at services available to seniors in British Columbia and focuses on indicators such as income, transportation, housing, and healthcare. The study shows that the majority of seniors enjoy good health, and just 8 percent need home support and palliative care and residential care. Another study measured life satisfaction based on safety, personal appearance, free time, community attachment, personal relationships, and other factors. The study reveals that Canadian seniors have high levels of satisfaction when it comes to personal relationships, local environment, and safety. Married persons and those living common low are more satisfied than persons who are single, widowed, divorced, or separated. Seniors who live in the Atlantic provinces and immigrant seniors have high levels of life satisfaction. Persons reporting stressful experiences are less satisfied, especially those who have financial difficulties. The main sources of stress include health issues, family problems, financial concerns, and work.

While Canadian seniors are generally satisfied with their quality of life and have high life expectancy, there are still issues to address to ensure that seniors are healthy and satisfied. Problems that require more concerted efforts include affordability of health services, social and economic inclusion, and affordable housing. Vulnerable groups experience social isolation and financial difficulties more often than the general population. These include recent immigrants, indigenous seniors, persons living alone, and older women. About 1/5 of women over the age of 75 have low incomes. Seniors who are financially vulnerable also include Metis, Inuit, and First Nations Canadians, and First Nations women make for the group with the highest incidence of financial hardship. Immigrant women are also at a higher risk of having low income compared to immigrant men and the general population. Policies that focus on income security should pay special attention to financially vulnerable groups to reduce poverty. At present, income support programs are available in the form of tax measures and incentives and income supports. The main income security programs are the Canada Pension Plan, Guaranteed Income Supplement, and Old Age Security. The Canada Pension Plan includes a death benefit, children’s benefits, survivor’s pension, disability benefits, and retirement pension. While income security programs have good coverage, they were developed and implemented in the 60s and 70s. They should be made more effective for vulnerable groups, especially single women, indigenous women, women with disabilities, and immigrant women. Special attention must be paid to vulnerable groups while developing policies and programs, including vulnerable populations such as indigenous people, remote and rural northern communities, and immigrant seniors. Linguistic minorities and ethnicized groups also face income inequalities that need to be addressed.

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Seniors magazines offer resources, news, and information to and about people approaching retirement age and post retirement. They cover a variety of topics such as senior travel, housing, assisted living, family, and transportation. Some great magazines that target Canadian seniors are Good Times, Seniors Lifestyle Magazine, INSPIRED Senior Living Magazine, Caregiving Matters, and Today’s Senior Newsmagazine.

Seniors Lifestyle Magazine - An online magazine for and about seniors, this periodical covers a range of topics such as home healthcare and professional caregiving, friendship, financial security after retirement, senior safety, and plenty more. The health and wellbeing section covers issues such as keeping the lungs healthy, prevention of osteoporosis, golf for seniors, and minimizing hearing loss. The retirement section looks at issues such as debt, saving during and for retirement, accessible housing, care planning, and many others. The lifestyle section explores topics such as travel destinations, family vacations, home proofing for grandchildren, and outdoor activities for seniors. There are also articles that focus on home health care, including hospitalization and hospital re-admissions, care options, residential care, wellness and new technologies, and assistive devices at home.

Good Times - A magazine with a focus on retirement, Good Times explores various topics related to style and beauty, leisure and travel, rights and money, and wellness and health. The wellness and health category offers readings on health and pets, skin cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and family doctors in Canada. Articles in the rights and money section explore topics such as paying taxes, real estate tax, and the job market in Canada. Readers are also offered travel and leisure articles on booking with Airbnb, breezing through an airport stress-free, fall gateway ideas, cruising, and more.

Caregiving Matters - Also a great resource for senior living, Caregiving Matters offers insightful readings across multiple categories such as family caregiving, grief and loss, assisted living, active living, health and illness. Featured topics include living with dementia, caregiver strategies, home care support, frailness in retirement, and Alzheimer’s disease and weight loss.

INSPIRED Senior Living Magazine - Published by Stratis Publishing Ltd., this magazine looks at the achievements and lives of aging Canadians and tells their stories. The goal is to debunk myths and break stereotypes associated with aging and offer insights into what life is over 55. The magazine offers helpful information across a wide array of topics, from travel, love, and lifestyle to housing, health, and wellness. The housing section covers issues such as costs associated with retirement housing, home automation, safety for the elderly, aids to daily living, and assisted living residencies. ISPIRED also focuses on lifestyle topics such as counting calories, exercises for back pain, setting boundaries, and rethinking retirement. The magazine also takes pride in being a comprehensive housing resource for seniors. The INSPIRED Senior Housing Directory of BC includes listings for senior residencies, 55+ communities, townhomes, condominiums, and apartments. INSPIRED also features local events such as Social Dance for ages 50+, New Dancer Classes, and Paintings by Robert and Sarah Amos. The magazine has a readership of about 150,000 in the Okanagan region and Lower BC Mainland. Businesses are offered different advertising options such as earned and paid editorials, business directory, and banner ads.

Today’s Senior Newsmagazine - First published 25 years ago, Today’s Senior Newsmagazine is a monthly magazine, exploring topics such as home improvement, extra income and investment solutions, financial planning, stress at work, and many others. In addition to having an online presence, the magazine can be found in many senior recreation centres, hospitals, and public libraries.