Older adults in Calgary are facing a growing risk of food insecurity, with rising costs and limited retirement income pushing many to seek food support for the first time, according to a recent study from the Calgary Food Bank. 

The study found that of the respondents who accessed the food bank’s services last fiscal year, nearly two-thirds had not faced any food insecurity prior to retirement. 

“These are folks who, through their working years, they paid the mortgage, they raised their kids, they paid their taxes, they did all of those things,” said Melissa From, CEO of the Calgary Food Bank. 

“In what really should be their golden years, they are finding themselves not able to make ends meet,” she added.

The study also noted seniors were three times more likely to repeatedly use the Calgary Food Bank compared to the general population.

Seniors 65 years and older have historically been the least likely to experience food insecurity, according to the study. It attributes the shift in need among older adults to a combination of factors, such as the increased cost of living, limited private savings (like an RRSP or TFSA), and lower Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions. 

The findings were compiled from roundtable discussions with several senior-serving organizations, as well as interviews and a representative survey of Calgary Food Bank clients aged 55 or older conducted last summer.

Thirty older adults were interviewed and the survey received 736 responses. The survey had a 99- per cent confidence interval and a margin of error of 3.63 per cent. 

From said the study not only highlights the need to support older adults struggling with food insecurity, but also how the nature of food banks has changed as the cost of living increases.

“There was sort of an era where food banks were really just the stopgap measure,” From said. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing — whether it’s with our working poor population or now with this aging population as well — is that there isn’t an end in sight.”

Study’s findings ‘deeply disturbing,’ expert says

More than half of the survey respondents said they earn no more than $20,000 annually, expressing concern about being able to afford the rising cost of housing or rent, utilities, medical expenses and a vehicle. 

Typically, seniors are defined as those aged 65 or older, and who are eligible to start receiving pension payments, said Dr. Lynn McIntyre, a public health physician and professor emerita of community health services at the University of Calgary. 

The food bank’s study, however, broadens those criteria to include adults 55 years and older, who are often in a more precarious position, she said.

“[The study] is very deeply disturbing because it talks about a demographic of food bank users that we didn’t even know about,” McIntyre said.

Data from the 2023 Canadian Income Survey shows more than 12 per cent of adults 65 and older are food insecure, but that number increases to nearly 21 per cent for those 55 to 64.

The study also has important implications for younger age groups, she said — such as those in the 30-45 range whose work isn’t CPP eligible or are not able to contribute much to savings — as it demonstrates the challenges that could lay ahead.

“Even though this is a unique, very disadvantaged population in this food bank study, it is actually very important to heed what we learn from these individuals and their families,” she said.

Barriers to access

The study also examined several barriers to accessing community support services. While nearly all respondents were found to be moderately or severely food insecure, only 35 per cent reported using services other than the Calgary Food Bank.

The most significant barriers, it noted, were access to transportation, the perceived stigma of accessing services and long wait times. 

Ashley Yeoman, manager of food security and community engagement with Unison Alberta, said the non-profit participated in the study’s roundtable, where it shared many of the challenges later raised in the study. 

Social isolation was another key issue they raised, Yeoman said, adding the organization is working to address this through their senior-specific food bank. The study found more than a third of its respondents reported feeling socially isolated.

“One of the things that we’re really trying to do at the Unison Market is address that food assistance … but creating meaningful opportunities for folks to connect and be part of the community, and find more opportunities to maybe meet other people and increase that social resilience,” she said.

For From, she hopes all levels of government will see the study and respond by helping bring costs under control and boost the level of income support.

“Those small incremental costs add up to that population,  and I think that we need to take that more seriously,” she said.