A Perspective on Caregiving

Being a caregiver is one of the most important and personally rewarding roles a person will play in their lifetime. As we see families grow and adapt to outside influences, we see many children taking up the task of caring for their family members. In fact...

  • There are approximately eight million caregivers in Canada
  • In the next fifteen years, the number of family caregivers will double

 

It's a family affair...

Most families will have one or more members who will need care in their lifetime - and it is usually assumed another family member will take up the mantle as caregiver. Typically, we become caregivers via 2 routes:

1. Phone call route due to a sudden emergency or issue

  • Instantly become a caregiver

 

2. Slow decline route as family member succumbs to dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or another physical or mental decline

  • Slowly you will take on more responsibility, like running errands, household repairs or helping with money management

 

The Statistics of Caregiving

  • 68% of family caregivers provide financial support to the care recipient
  • 93% of family caregivers provide emotional support
  • 90% of family caregivers provide personal care support
  • Over 50% of family caregivers have had to choose between spending time with other family members (like children) vs. providing care

 

Practical Implications of Providing Care

  • Balancing the responsibilities of parenting, working and caregiving
  • Keeping people informed
  • Making sure there's backup care
  • Trying to determine who is going to do what

 

Financial Implications of Caregiving

People may need to:

  • Reduce work hours or stop working
  • Forego benefits
  • Work part-time
  • Turn down opportunities

 

The above may impact:

  • Retirement Savings
  • Children's Savings

 

Financial Implications

You need to take care of every single stage in your life and adequately plan for each transition.

People forget to build a cost of care into their plan because: 

  • They think the cost is already covered
  • Don't realize how expensive it is
  • Doesn't occur that they might need care in the future

 

Whether you have parents who may need care at one point, or you yourself want to ensure your plans for care are planned out beforehand, our team is ready to help with an extended team of professionals ready to answer all of your questions! Putting a care plan in place for the future can be a difficult discussion with family members, but the better prepared you are now, the less stress other will feel when the time for caregiving comes.

Give our team a call to help you with your caregiving questions and concerns. We are always happy to help!