Did you know that your chances of living to 100 years old are better than ever? According to recent research, many Canadians are adopting lifestyles that may allow them to celebrate their 100th birthdays.

Looking forward over the next 35 years as baby boomers age, the cost of providing long-term care to Canadian boomers will be $1.2 trillion, and only half of that amount is covered by current government programs.

By the year 2036, it’s expected that 25 per cent of the population will be over 65 with almost 1 million Canadians afflicted with dementia.
You should note-
Many Canadians mistakenly believe that full-time care in a long-term care facility will be fully paid by government health care programs. However, long-term care is  not covered by the public health care system. The truth is that government health care programs may cover only a small part of the costs for a nursing home or other specialized residential care facility, or perhaps none at all depending on the
circumstances. This means that individuals (or their families) will have to pay for a significant portion of the costs associated with a long-term care situation out of their own pockets.

 

Many Canadians may be in for a shock when they’re faced with care costs in their elder years.

chart1A recent poll commissioned by the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association found that 56% of Canadians aged 60 and older do not know what the costs of long term care are in their province.

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Also, Three quarters of Canadians – 74% of those aged 60 and above have not made plans to cover costs of possible ongoing long term care.

 

 

Planning ahead is not only for the aged-
It is difficult to imagine when we are healthy and independent that at some point in our lives our health status could change and we could require specialized, ongoing care from someone else. Often, when we think of the need for long-term care, we think of the elderly and the need for care in a nursing home. Let’s not forget there can be circumstances in a younger person’s life when long-term care could be required. An unexpected debilitating illness or an accident could result in the need for around-the-clock care for people of all ages,such as the need for assistance in :
  • bathing
  • dressing
  • toileting
  • transferring (e.g, moving from a chair or out of bed)
  • maintaining continence
  • eating

 

 

Research obtained by Leger Marketing, survey conducted on behalf of the CLHIA.