Home for the rest! Canadians want to “age in place” … and you can help

October 4, 2024 – The population of Canada is aging, with older adults—those aged 65 or above—being the fastest-growing demographic. Statistics Canada estimates this cohort will represent 25% of Canada’s population by 2050.

Furthermore, recent research shows that if given the choice, over 85% of us would prefer to age in place, within our own homes and communities (National Institute on Ageing, Toronto Metropolitan University).

“As Canadians enter their golden years, their housing priorities often change, but no one size fits all,” says Caroline Baile, a real estate broker with Royal LePage Sussex, and Accredited Seniors Agent. “[They] are thinking about their long-term needs much earlier than previous generations. Even before retirement, many buyers are thinking about the features of a home that will help them transition into old age with ease.”

In fact, Baile says that many middle-aged clients have seen their elderly parents go through this transition, which has encouraged them to consider their own future needs.

Two important factors play a role in our decision to age in place: financial security, and overall health and well-being.

The Royal LePage survey “Canadians aging in place” reveals that 74% of respondents are increasingly interested in aging in place due to the cost of living in a senior care facility. (According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s “Senior housing survey [2021]”, the average rent for a “standard space” in seniors’ housing is $3,075 per month.)

Meantime, 59% of are concerned about the overall safety of senior care facilities (which made the headlines more than once during the pandemic).

A need for savvy contractors

“More and more, Canadians are choosing to right-size rather than downsize as they age,” Baile adds, noting that some will opt “to renovate their existing properties to accommodate their changing needs”.

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) rightly points out that our mobility and physical abilities change as we age, making it increasingly challenging to navigate our own homes. However, there are adaptations owners can undertake to make their homes safer and more accessible.

All this represents a huge opportunity for electrical professionals to provide forward-thinking homeowners with the supports they need now (or down the road), but only if they understand how support systems related to mobility, cognitive challenges, and medical conditions can make aging in place a reality.

Just a few common renovation solutions that could directly or indirectly involve electricians include:

• Upgraded electrical service and backup power.
• Snow-melt system for driveway and walkway.
• Vertical platform lift at the front porch or steps.
• Good lighting, especially hallways and stairways, coupled with motion/occupancy sensors.
• Additional outlets to avoid excessive use of power bars and extension cords.
• Elevator or stair lift inside, for homes with multiple levels.
• Smart home system for controlling various features (lighting, temperature, security) using voice commands or an app.

Contractors should to be able to talk knowledgeably about these solutions with both “mature” and “older” customers (and caregivers) so they can recommend and install the appropriate products and systems to enable aging in place.

Of course, back-up power is also very important for various critical systems, such as charging cellular devices, notes Jim Closs, national director at a Toronto-based firm called Age Safe Canada and owner of a consulting firm called Live Easy. He has 30 years of experience in accessible design and will be using emerging technologies in some upcoming aging in place projects.

Closs notes that “if you’re looking to add an accessibility product like a stairlift or home elevator—even if they are battery-operated—it’s also important to have these devices on their own circuit based on the manufacturer’s specification,” so that they are charged and ready at all times.

Ark Tsisserev, principal at Vancouver-based AES Engineering, adds the important note that if the electrical equipment in a home is upgraded or added upon, then “the size of the service—including the rating of the service box and ampacity of the consumer’s service conductors—might have to increase”.

And, because electrical installations are guided by codes and standards, are there any documents that apply to aging in place?

CSA Group says it is collaborating with industry partners, interested parties and persons with lived experiences to create “world-class standards and guidelines” to help meet the needs of Canadians who choose to age in place… whether in their homes or within their communities.

The standards CSA B651 “Accessible design for the built environment”, CSA/ASC B652 “Accessible dwellings”, and CSA B651.2 “Accessible design for self-service interactive devices including automated banking machines” have been developed to help improve the lives of those living with disabilities, including the elderly.

The supportive home: going above and beyond

“We’re bringing together emerging technology, aging adults, industry partners and clinical expertise,” says Bruce Wallace, executive director of the Sensors and Analytics for Monitoring Mobility and Memory (SAM3) AGE-WELL National Innovation Hub. “It’s time to get this technology out of the laboratory and into the community.”

This team of Carleton University researchers, in partnership with the Bruyère Research Institute and AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, is developing “supportive smart home systems to help older adults age in place safely and with dignity”, writes Carleton’s Dan Rubinstein.

So what does a supportive smart home system looks like?

Wallace stresses that “ambient sensing”—sensors placed strategically throughout the dwelling—is key to aging in place. “If you look at sensors that are worn [on the body], people forget to wear them, so it can be hard to know if they are functioning properly,” he explains. “With ambient sensing, you just live your life as always.”

Looking at power, Wallace says you could have wireless, battery-based sensors (similar to today’s home security systems) but that would involve a rather large battery count, making it just one more thing for seniors and caregivers to worry about.

“Instead, we’re seeing companies using the wiring harness of the house but with USB power—USB outlets—in house wall plugs,” he explains. “Also, there are now sensor units that are placed directly within the outlet. That is, a licensed electrician swaps out an existing light switch/outlet for a one of these units. It’s still a switch/outlet but can have motion and temperature and odor sensors, powered directly off 120V. Control of the switch is achieved by the switch itself, preset settings and/or a motion sensor and/or voice activation.”

For years, electrical contractors have been involved in running power for stair lifts, automated doors and additional lighting. (Lighting is especially important on stairs to prevent injury, says Wallace, but also in every room.) In addition, open/closed sensors on exterior doors are also already being installed in the homes of those with dementia.

In terms of what’s new to support aging in place, Wallace points to bed sensing, not just for ongoing data on the health and well-being of seniors, but to support their caregivers. Typically USB-powered, these sensors are placed between the mattress and box spring, or under a bed foot. They detect bed exits, and movement that could indicate restless sleep (due to pain) or whether the person is moving enough to prevent bedsores. Some even detect vital signs.

For caregivers, these sensors—when paired with other supportive home automation—can literally make all the difference for an individual to successfully age in place.

It’s very important for caregivers to get adequate sleep, says Wallace. He’s conducted trials where the detection of a bed exit is paired with the automatic switch-on of lights in the bedroom, hallway and washroom, thereby enabling a person with mobility issues or dementia to handle washroom trips alone.

“Our experiments show that this set-up can help the caregiver get eight hours of continuous sleep,” he reports, adding that back-up power for this system should be installed once it’s established to maintain the routine.

Night wandering can also be a part of dementia, and Wallace explains that one root cause is the fact that those losing cognitive function generally spend a great deal of time indoors and are, therefore, much less exposed to changes in the daily natural light wavelength spectrum. This can be mitigated by using light bulbs that create a “solar day” inside the house by changing the light wavelengths emitted (via an app).

Other noteworthy sensors include in-socket sensors that detect current at the outlet. “If we can measure current use everywhere, we can see if something has been left on,” explains Wallace. “A stove element is the most common occurrence. We can also have heat sensors at the stove.”

For overall activity sensing, technologies are being created that can perform monitoring while also safeguarding the occupant’s privacy. For example, Altumview of British Columbia builds a system that, yes, has cameras, but its software renders occupants as stick-figures (and they are not actually filmed).

Wallace adds that light detection and ranging technology is also being flexed for supportive smart homes. LIDAR is a remote sensing method that works by emitting a laser beam and measuring the time it takes for the light to return after reflecting off a surface. It is used on autonomous cars for object detection and monitoring.

“It now comes in a very inexpensive chip form,” Wallace notes. “It’s a whole new mechanism for monitoring activity in the home, like a 3D motion sensor, but also for health. Walking speed, for example, is a vital indicator of health and well-being.”

Whatever sensors are installed in the supportive home, they should be able to send notifications. “How are the messages sent and who do they go to?” Wallace urges us to ask. “Notification goes to people in the house first through an alarm and/or a text, but you could also choose to add a text alert to a person living nearby.” This would be especially important for things like door exits for those with dementia.

The wave is coming

An estimated 10.4 million Canadians will be 65 or older by 2037 (Rubinstein), with the overwhelming majority wishing to live in their own homes for as long as possible, despite becoming less independent.

Professionals who want to learn more about the aging in place market and related growing business opportunities could consider enrolling in CHBA’s Adaptiv Home Renovation Course. The emphasis of this course is on improving design by addressing safety, security, ease of use, comfort, accessibility, and occupant health.

Another option may be the How-To course on home safety assessments for seniors, offered by an Ontario company called Age Safe Canada.

If you’d like to know more, but are not ready to commit to a formal course, then simply google “universal design”, which is defined as “the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability” (Centre for Excellence in Universal Design).

The primary tenets of universal design do not just apply to libraries, courthouses, public transit, etc., but to someone’s home, too.

The aging in place movement signals significant opportunities: not just for electrical contractors, but for everyone involved in the coming surge of home renovations and retrofits that accompany it.

Treena Hein is an award-winning Canadian science, technology and industry business trends writer.

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