How the elderly occupy their days?

Photo Fotolia

QMI agency

Wednesday, march 21, 2018 12:41

UPDATE
Wednesday, march 21, 2018 12:41

Look at this article

OTTAWA – Even if the children have long since left the nest and retirement has sounded, the elderly women of 65 years and more continue to be incurred more than men in the preparation of meals and within the household.

This is what shows the study “A day in the life of older Canadians: what activities to spend their time?” of Statistics Canada, which is based on the general social Survey (GSS) on time use.

According to the data released on Wednesday, 91 % of older women and 83% of men in the same age group spent each day, in 2015, the time for household work and meal preparation. Women spend 32 minutes more than men to perform these tasks.

More than three women aged about four were preparing the meal, compared to 61 % of men. In contrast, nearly 30 % of men aged carrying out activities of maintenance and cleaning to the outside, compared to 10% of women.

But there is hope regarding the participation of men, even older. In 2015, 87 % of older persons were engaged in unpaid household work, compared to 75 % in 1986. “The increase is primarily the result of older men, whose rate increased from 59 % in 1986 to 83 % in 2015,” says the federal agency.

Exercise, tv, reading…

Three-quarters of the elderly, regardless of their gender, participated in 2015 in leisure active, which included, according to Statistics Canada, exercise, volunteer, or socialize, but also passive activities, like watching television or reading. This was the case for 90 % of the elderly, women as men.

The study also indicates that the proportion of older women taking part in leisure activities that are active has declined between 1986 and 2015, rising from 77 % to 69 %, while they spend up to 40 minutes less leisure today compared to 1986. Among men, the participation rate remained stable at 70 %, during the same period, but the time devoted to leisure has dropped from 35 minutes.

It should be noted that persons aged 65 years will represent almost one-quarter of the canadian population by 2031.