The Role of Municipalities in Supporting an Aging Population : Reconfiguring the Support System for the Elderly
Physical space is a central element in the support system for the elderly who experience loss of autonomy. The Quebec government is calling upon municipalities more and more to take the elderly into account in their planning and management. I analyse this increasing mobilization of municipalities as regards equity, especially for those of limited financial means. I also look at the private sectors efforts to develop vast residential complexes offering a wide range of services, with the effect of creating economic segregation according to rental costs. Finally, I raise several questions regarding the reconfiguration of the Quebec system of support for the elderly, given the growing importance of the role played by municipalities’ and the privatization of residential environments for this age group.