Labour and Social Statistics Section 26,025 British Columbians aged 65 and over live in special care facilities such as hospitals and homes for the elderly and the chronically ill. Relative to the population, this represents a slight decline from the 1986 level of 70 out of every 1,000 seniors. The decline in the institutionalization rate of the elderly is evident for both males and females, and is consistent across age groups. A possible explanation of this trend may be the development of special apartments for seniors, which allow the elderly to maintain their independence while providing some services such as housekeeping, meals, and access to on-site medical personnel.
Elderly women are more likely than men to be institutionalized.
This appears to be the result of the longer life expectancy of women, as in the 65-77 year age groups, men's and women's institutionalization rates are similar. In the 75 and over age group, women living in special care homes outnumber men three to one.