York Region continues to advance priorities to strengthen Seniors’ Health and Well-being

May 28, 2026

Newmarket – York Regional Council received an update and endorsed advocacy priorities under the 2024 to 2027 Plan to Support Seniors.

The plan focuses on supporting seniors to age in the right place, based on their preferences, circumstances and care needs. It identifies actions where York Region has responsibility to act and includes an advocacy agenda where funding is required by senior levels of government.

“York Region’s seniors’ population is growing rapidly, and while many older adults remain healthy and active, others require more support to age safely in their communities,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Eric Jolliffe. “This plan provides a strong framework for action and advocacy. We continue to do the work our communities require but also require our federal and provincial partners to work with us to close critical gaps in seniors’ health, housing and social care.”

The plan’s advocacy priorities focus on five key areas where federal and provincial leadership and investment are necessary to address increasingly complex needs York Region seniors are experiencing. This includes:

  • Sustaining and expanding funding for Community Paramedicine
  • Establishing a provincial coordinating body for seniors’ programs and services
  • Expanding seniors’ access to digital technology and improving digital literacy
  • Funding annual in-home or virtual preventative health visits for seniors aged 75 and older
  • Improving long-term policy planning and funding for seniors’ health, housing and social care

“Aging in place allows older adults to maintain independence in familiar surroundings while staying connected to their communities,” said City of Vaughan Regional Councillor Gino Rosati, Chair of Community and Health Services. “Strong collaboration across the organization with community partners and all levels of government will allow us to continue to support seniors to stay connected to their community and be supported in the best way to meet their needs.”

Between 2016 and 2021, York Region residents aged 65 and older increased by 23%. By 2051, its projected to more than double, with close to one in four York Region residents being aged 65 or older.

Regional Council approved the 2024 to 2027 Plan to Support Seniors in 2024, which outlines four priority areas:

  • Keeping seniors healthier longer
  • Supporting seniors to live in age-friendly communities
  • Connecting seniors and caregivers to the right programs and services at the right times
  • Improving coordination, organization and planning of services for the senior’s population

York Region has made steady progress during the last two years, with all 27 actions on track, five completed and 22 ongoing. A final update is expected in spring 2028.

Earlier this year, York Region was formally recognized by the Government of Ontario as an Age-Friendly Community, highlighting the Region’s commitment to fostering inclusive, accessible and age-friendly communities where older adults can thrive.

Through collaboration with community partners, local municipalities, Ontario Health Teams, senior’s groups and caregivers, the plan continues to deliver meaningful impacts, including:

  • Expanded community paramedicine, including 8,758 supportive interactions or visits for seniors
  • Delivered 59 fall prevention program engagements
  • Improved system navigation, including a digital and printable navigation guide, enhanced call centre navigation for seniors and support for seniors on subsidized housing waitlist
  • Advancing development of the Unionville Commons Seniors Hub in the City of Markham to deliver accessible seniors-focused services to support those within the surrounding communities

While progress has been made, many pressing issues remain, such as affordable housing supply, home and community care, long-term care capacity and digital inclusion.

For more information on services promoting health, well-being, safety and independence of York Region’s growing and diverse seniors’ population, visit York.ca/Seniors

The Regional Municipality of York consists of nine local cities and towns and provides a variety of programs and services to more than 1.3 million residents and over 58,000 businesses with 624,000 employees. More information about the Region’s key service areas is available at york.ca/RegionalServices

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Media Contact:

Tamara Ostrowski, Corporate Communications,
The Regional Municipality of York
Phone: 1-877-464-9675, ext. 71226
Cell: 905-251-6412
Email: @email