ABSTRACT
The world around us is aging, and it is aging rapidly. The 2006 Census in Canada reported an 11.5 per cent increase in the number of people aged 65 years and older compared to 2001, topping the four million mark for the first time in census history. This trend is expected to continue, and will accelerate in 2011 when the first baby boomers reach 65 years of age. Seniors in Canada now account for 13.7 per cent of the total population. As the population ages, it will become increasingly important for seniors to maintain high levels of health and functional independence in order to live independently as long as possible. One framework to consider this within is successful aging (SA), also referred to as healthy aging, productive aging, and aging well, which proposes that aging does not have to lead to a negative cascade of failing physical and cognitive function.
