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Faces of Aging

The aging of Canada’s population will present a host of complex social and economic challenges for governments at all levels over the next few decades. The Faces of Aging program examines this demographic phenomenon and its implications for public policy and society at large. This research program is directed by Colin Busby.

The current research agenda focuses on the following themes:

  • End-of-life care
  • Retirement-income adequacy and pension reform
  • Funding and delivery of health care and social services
  • Social and economic implications of caregiving

Work in progress

  • Policy options to improve palliative care
  • Regulations and quality in private residential care for seniors
  • Improving regimes for advanced medical directives
  • Reviewing the impact of Tax Free Savings Accounts

Latest Research

More from this research program

Assessing Cash-for-Care Benefits to Support Aging at Home in Canada
Colleen M. Flood, Deirdre DeJean, Lorraine Frisina Doetter, Amélie Quesnel-Vallée and Erik Schut (April 7, 2021)
Hausser l’âge d’admissibilité aux prestations du Régime de rentes du Québec ?
Pierre-Carl Michaud, Yann Décarie, Franca Glenzer, François Laliberté-Auger and Stefan Staubli (August 25, 2020)
MAiD Legislation at a Crossroads: Persons with Mental Disorders as Their Sole Underlying Medical Condition
The Halifax Group (January 30, 2020)
Relieving the Burden of Navigating Health and Social Services for Older Adults and Caregivers
Laura M. Funk (November 6, 2019)
Are Low-Income Savers Still in the Lurch? TFSAs at 10 Years
Richard Shillington (April 9, 2019)
Improving Advance Medical Directives: Lessons from Quebec
Louise Bernier and Catherine Régis (March 14, 2019)
Interpreting Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Legislation
Jocelyn Downie; Jennifer A. Chandler (March 1, 2018)
Unfinished Business: Pension Reform in Canada
Bob Baldwin and Richard Shillington (June 14, 2017)
No Place to Grow Old
How Canadian Suburbs Can Become Age Friendly
Glenn Miller (March 8, 2017)
Improving Prescription Drug Safety for Canadian Seniors
Nicole F. Bernier (January 12, 2017)
Integrating Long-Term Care into a Community-Based Continuum
Shifting from “Beds” to “Places”
A. Paul Williams, Janet Lum, Frances Morton-Chang, Kerry Kuluski, Allie Peckham, Natalie Warrick, Alvin Ying (February 18, 2016)
Caregiving for Older Adults with Disabilities
Present Costs, Future Challenges
Janet Fast (December 16, 2015)
Designing a National Seniors Strategy for Canada
IRPP Task Force on Aging (October 7, 2015)
No Seniors’ Specials
Financing Municipal Services in Aging Communities
Harry Kitchen (February 27, 2015)
Are Income-Based Public Drug Benefit Programs Fit for an Aging Population?
Steven G. Morgan, Jamie R. Daw and Michael R. Law (December 3, 2014)
La responsabilité des soins aux aînés au Québec
Du secteur public au privé
Jean-Pierre Lavoie, avec la collaboration de Nancy Guberman et de Patrik Marier (September 3, 2014)
Age-Friendly Communities
Are We Expecting Too Much?
Stephen M. Golant (February 13, 2014)
Age-Friendly Communities in Ontario
Multi-Level Governance, Coordination Challenges and Policy Implications
Maya Cerda and Nicole F. Bernier (November 4, 2013)
Not-So-Modest Options for Expanding the CPP/QPP
Michael Wolfson (July 15, 2013)
How to Bend the Cost Curve in Health Care
Steven Lewis and Terrence Sullivan (May 31, 2013)
The Federal Public Service Superannuation Plan
A Reform Agenda
Bob Baldwin (December 7, 2012)
Where Will You Retire?
Seniors' Migration within Canada and Implications for Policy
Bruce Newbold and Tyler Meredith (November 22, 2012)
Financing Long-Term Care in Canada
Michel Grignon and Nicole F. Bernier (June 19, 2012)
Pooled Target-Benefit Pension Plans
Building on PRPPs
Robert L. Brown and Tyler Meredith (March 8, 2012)
Many Degrees of Policy Freedom
The Federal Government's Role in Care for Seniors
Harvey Lazar (November 17, 2011)
Supporting Caregivers and Caregiving in an Aging Canada
Janice M. Keefe (November 15, 2011)
Population Aging and the Evolving Care Needs of Older Canadians
An Overview of the Policy Challenges
Neena L. Chappell (October 19, 2011)
A New Pension Plan for Canadians
Assessing the Options
Keith Horner (July 5, 2011)
Projecting the Adequacy of Canadians’ Retirement Incomes
Current Prospects and Possible Reform Options
Michael C. Wolfson (April 29, 2011)
Is Your Defined-Benefit Pension Guaranteed?
Funding Rules, Insolvency Law and Pension Insurance
Ronald B. Davis (March 10, 2011)
Residential Long-Term Care for Canada’s Seniors
Nonprofit, For-Profit or Does It Matter?
Margaret J. McGregor and Lisa A. Ronald, with commentary by Gail Dobell (January 24, 2011)
Pension Reform in Canada
A Guide to Fixing Our Futures Again
Bob Baldwin (December 16, 2010)
Can Financial Education Improve Financial Literacy and Retirement Planning?
Saul Schwartz (December 14, 2010)
Improving Canada’s Retirement Saving
Lessons from Abroad, Ideas from Home
Patrik Marier, with commentaries by Monica Townson and Keith Ambachtsheer (September 28, 2010)
Avenues for Reforming the Canadian Retirement Income System
Rapporteur's Report
Bruce Little (June 4, 2010)
Providing Pharmacare for an Aging Population
Is Prefunding the Solution?
Jacqueline Greenblatt and Mark Stabile, with commentary by Michel Grignon (February 9, 2010)
Expert Round Table on Older Workers
Rapporteur's Report
Jeremy Leonard, Jean-Simon Farrah (May 30, 2007)

EXPERT COMMENTARIES

It shouldn’t be this hard to navigate health and social care systems
Relieving the Burden of Navigating Health and Social Services for Older Adults and Caregivers (December 27, 2019)
TFSAs were supposed to help low-income Canadians save for retirement
Are Low-Income Savers Still in the Lurch? TFSAs at 10 Years (May 14, 2019)
Revoir les directives médicales anticipées au Québec
Improving Advance Medical Directives: Lessons from Quebec (April 25, 2019)
Confusion about medical-assisted dying legislation puts Canadians at risk
Interpreting Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Legislation (April 5, 2018)
Why our current suburbs are no place to grow old
No Place to Grow Old (April 20, 2017)
Canada needs a comprehensive strategy to improve prescription drug safety for seniors
Improving Prescription Drug Safety for Canadian Seniors (January 25, 2017)
We need to start caring for caregivers
Caregiving for Older Adults with Disabilities (January 21, 2016)
Ontario doesn’t need an income-based drug benefit program for seniors
Are Income-Based Public Drug Benefit Programs Fit for an Aging Population? (December 3, 2014)
CPP needs more than a “modest” fix to help middle-income retirees
Not-So-Modest Options for Expanding the CPP/QPP (July 15, 2013)
Steven Lewis and Terrence Sullivan: How doctors are bankrupting health care
How to Bend the Cost Curve in Health Care (May 31, 2013)
How to pay for long-term care for seniors
Financing Long-Term Care in Canada (December 5, 2012)
Ottawa must play strategic role in seniors’ care; Federal government can influence policy without alienating provinces
Many Degrees of Policy Freedom (March 24, 2012)
Fending off Canada’s pension crisis
Pooled Target-Benefit Pension Plans (March 18, 2012)
CPP offers financial model for covering elderly drug costs
Providing Pharmacare for an Aging Population (March 12, 2012)
Why Canada needs to expand its public pension system
Projecting the Adequacy of Canadians’ Retirement Incomes (March 12, 2012)

Related Events

Webinar — Could Federalism Help Cure What Ails Long-Term Care?
(May 20, 2021)
Webinar — A Roadmap to Long-term Care Reform in Canada
(May 13, 2021)
Working Lunch – Hausser l’âge d’admissibilité au RRQ ?
(January 20, 2020)
Webinar: Interpreting Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Legislation
Interpreting Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Legislation (September 25, 2018)
Webinar: Improving Prescription Drug Safety for Canadian Seniors 
Improving Prescription Drug Safety for Canadian Seniors (June 9, 2017)
Expanding Long-Term Care in the Community: Can It Be Done?
Integrating Long-Term Care into a Community-Based Continuum (June 14, 2016)
Is Canada ready for a national pharmacare program?
Are Income-Based Public Drug Benefit Programs Fit for an Aging Population? (February 27, 2015)
Où vont les soins de longue durée au Québec ?
La responsabilité des soins aux aînés au Québec (November 6, 2014)
Bending the Cost Curve in Health Care: Can It Be Done?
How to Bend the Cost Curve in Health Care (November 18, 2013)
Age-Friendly Communities in Ontario
Multi-Level Governance, Coordination Challenges and Policy Implications
Age-Friendly Communities in Ontario (November 4, 2013)
Are Canadians saving enough for retirement?
(September 17, 2013)
CIRANO & IRPP – L’après-comité D’Amours
(April 25, 2013)
How Should We Pay for Elder Care?
(February 20, 2013)