A new report from the University of Manitoba calls for more than 5,000 personal care home beds or supportive housing units by 2036 in order to deal with an aging population.

The report indicated that by 2031, all members of the Baby Boom era will be 65 or older and nearly half will be over the age of 75, which presents a significant challenge to the healthcare system.

"Manitoba Health's Aging in Place initiative has created relatively new alternatives to care for aging adults, such as supportive housing and home care," said Dr. Dan Chateau in a statement. "These have helped to keep the demand for personal care homes down. Expanding these services will be crucial for the future care of seniors in the province."

The study also highlighted that the proportion of Manitobans using personal care homes has shrunk since 1985. There are approximately 9,600 personal care home beds in Manitoba, with 5,400 of them in Winnipeg, according to the study.

Population projections indicate that an extra 5,100 will be a necessity unless supportive housing and home care can divert 12.5 to 19.5 per cent of people out of personal care homes.

While the figures are cause of concern, they are even more staggering in regions such as the Interlake-Eastern, Northern and Southern regions, which is expected to face a more dramatic increase for demand.

The study asserts that the Southern region alone will need 1,250 personal care home beds by 2021, 1,634 by 2031, and 1,918 by 2036.

While a significant spouse and children could offset the effects, studies show that less Manitoban families are having fewer children and now 1-in-5 are not having children.

More to come...

cphl.news@sunmedia.ca