A new study has revealed that elderly women aged 70 and over are the happiest demographic in Canada.
The study was conducted by Statistics Canada, who asked Canadians to rate their life satisfaction and happiness. The report revealed interesting insights into how Canadians think, feel and perceive their overall happiness to be.
Women aged over 70 were found to have relatively good health, an attribute which was considered important by all Canadians. Household income makes little difference to seniors’ overall life satisfaction; however, poverty can cause unhappiness.
The most interesting insight into the lives of elderly women is that they tend to have strong family, friends and community bonds, which they have forged over the course of their lives. A strong sense of belonging and purpose can have a significant effect on how Canadians perceive their lives to be, and according to the study, elderly women benefit from this the most.
As seniors gradually get older, however, their ability to move around their home independently may become compromised due to mobility issues. Climbing stairs can be challenging and a lot of seniors see moving to a bungalow as the only solution to this problem.
Seniors can now avoid the ordeal of moving to a new house and leaving behind friends, neighbours and the community that they feel a strong sense of belonging too. Installing a home elevator can help achieve long-lasting happiness in the home and help maintain long-lasting relationships in the community, qualities which, according to Statistics Canada, elderly women place significant value on.
Interestingly, the report provides some clues on how to survive the typically more difficult middle years. It says the most important three things are ‘a congenial workplace, stable neighbourhood and a successful marriage’. These three factors will enable individuals to feel contentment in later life.