Older adults in social housing: A systemically vulnerable population that needs to be prioritized

Older adults living in social housing are a vulnerable population with unique health challenges that often lead to poor health outcomes and high emergency service utilization. However, the needs of this population are frequently overlooked. This policy note describes the characteristics of older adults living in social housing in Canada and discusses why they are a vulnerable, underserved population in need of immediate attention and priority. Older adults in social housing have higher rates of chronic disease, lower quality of life, and lower health literacy and face challenges caused by various compounding social determinants of health. There is a large gap in research and tailored interventions focusing on this population. Based on these findings, the authors highlight the need for the allocation of resources to support this growing population, including dedicated funding, research, and programming. Proactively addressing the issues that exist in the health and social care of this high-needs population will also have larger implications for reducing healthcare system burden. Older adults living in social housing are a highly vulnerable population. Chronic disease, poor mental health, poverty, and social isolation are more highly prevalent among this group, and the health needs of this population frequently remain unmet. This creates a cascade of negative health outcomes, leading to situations of health crisis and potential for high reliance on emergency systems. This is why older adults in social housing need immediate prioritization from researchers, governments, and health systems. This paper discusses the health challenges and needs of the population of older adults who live in social housing. This group of people has more health difficulties (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and anxiety) than the general population. They also face other challenges such as living with low income, mental health concerns, loneliness, and lower levels of education. At the same time, these individuals often do not get the support they need to improve their health and quality of life. The authors of this paper suggest that it is very important for governments, researchers, and healthcare systems to support this population, because of the specific challenges they face.