Canada’s older adult population increased by nearly one million people over the last five years and is projected to grow exponentially more in the coming decades. This will leave support systems, and especially the long-term care sector, scrambling to keep up. Long-term care (LTC) facilities have faced extensive scrutiny following the pandemic, opening Canadians’ eyes to the importance of these spaces and the need to combat concerns including social isolation, physical accessibility and more. 

What can be done to make LTC facilities better suited to present and future needs? The following are some key considerations that designers should keep in mind when retrofitting existing spaces and creating new ones for aging Canadians.