Aging but not Forgotten: An Analysis of Older Adult Health Care Access in Elliot Lake
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Authors
Barber, Rachel
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Shrinking Cities , Elliot Lake , Public Transportation , Age-Friendly Communities , Older Adults , Urban Planning
Alternative Title
Abstract
The population of Elliot Lake in Northern Ontario, Canada is old and getting older, and small and getting smaller. It is Canada’s most severely shrinking city and is home to the nation’s second oldest population. After the loss of the uranium mining industry, Elliot Lake rebranded itself as a retirement community to meet the needs of its older population. In 2017, the city published a five-year Age-Friendly Action Plan to improve Elliot Lake in eight domains, including health care and transportation. Both domains are interconnected; for older adults who are unable to drive, barrier-free public transportation to health care facilities is crucial in ensuring they have the ability to access health care appointments. Elliot Lake already has a public transit service, making it well positioned to provide age-friendly transportation services and to set a precedent for rural transit. However, with Elliot Lake having a shrinking tax base and a population of only 11,372 with almost 40% being over the age of 65, it begs the question of whether older adults have adequate access to the community-based health care services needed to age in place?
Using the novel Older Persons Walking and Transit Audit (OPWATA), we evaluated the accessibility of health care facilities in Elliot Lake. We found that the city’s topography and an inconsistent use of age-friendly features along walking routes and at bus stops discourage older adult public transportation use and create barriers to health care access. We outlined the geography of health care facilities in Elliot Lake and determined that 27 of 28 physician offices in the community are located in two health care facilities. Through a buffer analysis, we demonstrated that 76% of older adults live within 150 metres of a bus stop. Finally, we developed municipal-level recommendations to improve health care access in Elliot Lake and considerations for small cities and rural communities wishing to instate or improve public transportation services. This includes the creation of a universal age-friendly bus stop design, along with a universal design of pedestrian paths near bus stops, to further encourage active transportation and public transportation use.
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Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada
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Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States