A new report from Statistics Canada, Factors associated with unmet needs for disability supports, 2022, has found that 66.1 per cent of persons with disabilities in Canada reported having at least one unmet need when it came to health care services, prescription medication, assistive aids or devices and help with everyday activities.
Broken down, they say 45.7 per cent required health care services. “In terms of specific health-related services or therapies, physiotherapy, massage therapy or chiropractic treatments and counselling services from a psychologist, psychiatrist, psychotherapist or social worker were the most commonly reported unmet needs,” the report’s authors write. They add that 13.5 per cent reported unmet needs for prescription medication while 44.2 per cent had out-of-pocket expenses associated with their medications.
They say severity of disability was a significant predictor of having unmet needs. The report also looks at demographic variations and socioeconomic status. Those with very severe disabilities, 60.7 per cent, were more likely to have unmet needs compared with 33.5 per cent of those with mild disabilities.
“Those with fluctuating, recurrent or progressive limitations (49.7 per cent) were more likely to have unmet needs for health care services than those with continuous limitations (38.2 per cent),” they add. “Results of the model also indicate that unmet needs for prescription medications were associated with being a woman, a 2SLGBTQ+ person, belonging to a racialized group and being unemployed.”
