Given the precedent findings of health inequalities in Hamilton, ON and the rapid increase of elderly populations in Canada as a whole, this article looks for areas of deficient health services within the Hamilton region, characterized as “healthcare deserts,” and examines the possible implications with respect to the residing senior populations. Maps were constructed by overlaying median household income and percentage of population over 65 with the locations of healthcare services frequented by seniors. Qualitative analysis revealed that the distribution of senior services has no correlation to the senior population, and that senior services tend to be concentrated in lower income areas. This research has exposed the existence of healthcare deserts in most regions of Hamilton except the downtown core. Since seniors are less able to travel longer distances, living far away from these services could act as a barrier, inhibiting access and reducing quality of life. Concerns regarding accessibility of health services will become more important as this demographic grows, so mapping services in this manner can inform urban planning to minimize the impacts of these deserts.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.