Why will people in Canada happily live with high prices for things like homes, cable, cell service, food, basically everything? But when it comes time to paying for self-care…screeeeeeeech! Dead stop.
Strange isn’t it? We’ve listed a few false beliefs that we believe leads to this type of thinking:
False Belief 1: Needing help is beneath me. Accepting help is “giving in
- We hear the words: “we’re not there yet” a lot. Fun fact: those words are often uttered mere weeks before a crisis
- If you are over 80, you are old. You might be healthy – and that is wonderful, but you have less life ahead than behind you, and that is okay!
- The odds are very high that you will begin to slow down both mentally and physically and that is completely normal
False Belief 2: The Canadian health care system will take care of me when needed
- In most cases, no, it will not, unless you are acutely ill
- Our provincially managed health care systems have been designed for acute care and our long- term care systems are under- funded and under pressure – they will not catch up in time for the on-coming wave of older boomers
False Belief 3: Taking care of someone is “no big deal”, women have been doing it forever
- Ensuring that someone is safe in their home is a full-time job, as is running that home and managing all the aspects of someone’s life, and this is in addition to the ongoing stress and guilt that daughters feel because they cannot do everything!
- Adult children typically prefer that their parents spend their money on their own care rather than saving it to pass on. In essence, parents outsourcing care for themselves, is in fact a gift for their adult children – it is the gift of peace of mind.
False Belief 4: Making things easier for myself will make me old
- It is shocking to us how many intelligent, successful people believe that if they say it, it will happen. Stop it. It’s not true.
- Yes, there are things that people can do to extend good health. They are: exercise, eat a healthy diet, establish a solid and regular sleep routine, maintain social interactions
- Nowhere does it say that mitigating everyday risks will contribute to your demise – think glasses, does wearing glasses make your vision worse? No, so why would having some help at home, make you more dependent
The truth is there are so many amazing services available to support us as we age, whether that is working with a care agency or moving into a retirement home or ensuring that one’s affairs are in order or even using a driving service. The key is finding the service or product that is best suited for you.
We can help, we can’t make you do it…but we can help.
