As Canada’s population ages, community-based seniors services are becoming increasingly essential to supporting older adults to live independently, safely, and with dignity in their homes and communities. This session will present findings from a new National Institute on Ageing (NIA) report examining the role, impact, and future potential of Canada’s Community-Based Seniors Services (CBSS) sector. The report highlights how community-based organizations support older adults to remain connected, support caregivers, and age in the right place.

Participants will gain insights into the sector’s contributions to healthy ageing and health system sustainability, key challenges affecting access and capacity across Canada, and policy opportunities to strengthen recognition, funding, integration, and coordination of community-based supports. The session is designed for leaders, policymakers, researchers, and service providers interested in building more equitable, person-centred systems of care for an ageing population.