Living for Today – Ready for Tomorrow, Additional Survey Findings
Talking about it…or not
Half of Canadians aged 65 to 85 believe their family is going to care for them as they age, even though many of them have not spoken to their loved ones about their future needs and living arrangements:
- Among those older Canadians who are not receiving home health care, 96% have not spoken to their families about it.
- Among those older Canadians who have seriously thought about receiving home health care, just one in five said they will definitely be starting discussions about it with friends, family or healthcare professionals.
- Many individuals who definitely won’t be starting discussions with family and friends said they won’t require assistance for a long time (50%) and they don’t want to be a burden to their family (26%). Curiously, 45% of those aged 75 to 85 said they won’t require assistance for a long time.
Older Canadians not prepared
Although independent living is a high priority with almost all older Canadians, far fewer are taking the necessary steps to ensure they can live independently for as long as possible:
- Only a very small number of those surveyed (2%) have someone helping them out or coming into their homes to provide support.
- Diet and exercise were not embraced as key ways among seniors to ensure they are able to live independently for as long as they can. Nationally, less than 5% indicated that they keep active/exercise and only 1% noted healthy eating. BC residents surveyed were slightly more likely to exercise (7%).
- Only a fraction (1%) of respondents had moved to an apartment or smaller space to remain independent.
A study in contradictions
Procrastination and denial are plaguing many older Canadians. Even though living independently in their homes is a priority, eight out of ten seem resigned to a future in an institutional setting and a similar percentage have not even thought about the possibility of receiving home health care in the future:
- Common reasons for not exploring this option include 26% who feel they don’t need it at the moment, 22% who are still healthy and 13% who remain independent and active.
- Half of those surveyed are relying on their family to care for them. They may be disappointed since less than six per cent of those surveyed currently live with family members.
Where’s the money?
- Over half of people who are receiving home care do not know all their funding options and the ways financial costs can be alleviated. When pressed to identify these options, an additional 14% admitted they didn’t know.
- Among those people who are receiving home health care, 48% require assistance with light housekeeping. Other needs include nursing care cited by one in five, help with bathing (21%), traveling to medical appointments (20%) and companionship (18%).
- The majority (78%) of people who require assistance receive it from a home health care worker or a nurse, 19% get help from a spouse, 25% rely on their children and 15% rely on other family members.
For more information please contact Polaris Public Relations Inc.:
Shelley Pringle, 416.597.1518, shelley@polarisprinc.com or Holly Roy, 780.470.5300, hollyr@pumpkinpr.com
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