According to Statistics Canada 2020 census data, more 25 percent of the population in Canada is over the age of 60, with more Canadians reaching similar age over the next decade.

When planning a deep energy retrofit, there's a great opportunity to create a home that allows occupants to age in place. The accommodations required for this kind of renovation blend nicely with a deep energy retrofit.

An aging at home strategy may include the following changes to a building:

• Wider doors and openings for wheelchairs or walkers
• Non-slip flooring
• Lowered countertops and space for sit-down work
• Bath and bedroom on the ground floor
• Reinforced walls at stair ways to allow for elevator chairs
• Low angle ramps at exterior entrances

It will also be important for elderly people to have consistent temperatures and good indoor air quality throughout the year, without cold and hot fluctuations as seasons change. This type of stability may be achieved with good detailing for insulation, air tightness and mechanical ventilation. The health of older occupants may be positively affected by improvements to the building envelope in tandem with aging in place renovations.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has created a list of Low-and-No-Cost modifications that can be made for accessibility.