Authors' objectives:

This report aims to forecast the total population for each health district and Saskatchewan as a whole, estimate the number of seniors likely to be living in each health district and province-wide, and identify implications of the changing population for the health care system.

Authors' recommendations: Saskatchewan's population will grow over the next 15 years, with populations of individual health districts changing in terms of both size and age composition. In general, populations of districts in northern and central Saskatchewan will increase, while populations of districts in southern Saskatchewan will decrease. Although the number of seniors in northern and large urban health districts will rise, their numbers will fall in southern health districts. Seniors aged 65-74 and 85+ will comprise larger proportions of the seniors population in 2015 than they do in 2000; the proportion of seniors in the 75-84 age group will decrease. Our projections suggest that by 2015 there will be a greater number of health districts in Saskatchewan that = because of their small population size = may lack the critical mass necessary to efficiently administer and deliver health services. Although it appears likely that numbers of acute and long-term care beds and home care clients will remain somewhat stable provincially, projected changes in the size and composition of district populations suggest there may be opportunities to redistribute resources at a local level. We emphasize again that allocation of resources should be determined at the district level, based on a more detailed assessment of need.

Authors' methods: Primary research

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.hqc.sk.ca/resources.html

Year Published: 2001

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Health Services Utilization and Research Commission

Contact Address: Health Services Utilization and Research Committee Box 46, 103 Hospital Drive, Saskatoon SK S7N 0W8, Canada Tel: (306) 655-1500, Fax: (306) 655-1462

Contact Name: nisbetb@sdh.sk.ac. This organisation is now closed. Please see the Health Quality Council (HQC) website for further information at: http://www.hqc.sk.ca/.

Contact Email: nisbetb@sdh.sk.ac. This organisation is now closed. Please see the Health Quality Council (HQC) website for further information at: http://www.hqc.sk.ca/.

Copyright: Health Services Utilization and Research Commission