Most persons living with dementia in Canada reside at home, relying on support from family and/or friends as caregivers. Evidentially, knowledge gaps exist when trying to understand how caregivers and persons living with dementia can be better supported in their community and health care environments. This research examined the effect of aging in place with a focus on providing a comprehensive understanding of the barriers to aging in place for persons living with dementia and their caregivers using the social-ecological model. Fourteen caregivers were recruited to participate in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. The subsequent theme, they do not make it easy, emphasizes issues faced with community and societal domains of aging in place care. These findings shed light on the unmet needs of persons living with dementia and their caregivers while aging in place, as well as the need to address systemic barriers to sincerely promote aging in place for all persons.

Secondary analysis of data from the Health and Activity Limitations Survey (HALS) in the metropolitan Montreal area shows that 3.5 out of 10 elderly persons living in a household had a disability. In this descriptive research, we locate the dependency level according to the attributes of the elderly and of their residence. Approximately three out of four elderly with a disability receive help and one out of three are assessed as needing more help. Assistance varies with the person who helps. The family mostly helps for everyday activities, friends for shopping, and private or governmental services for personal care and household tasks. Assistance varies also with the marital status of the elderly person. Finally, the presence of special devices is associated with type of housing.