(1,559 kb)
(1,559 kb)
The way we look after our elders in this country is changing as the number of Canadians 65 years and older increases. In fact, the entire issue of eldercare has come to the forefront as statistics indicate an anticipated doubling of the number of seniors over the next 25 years.
A hundred years ago, the average Canadian man lived only 47 years and the average woman 50 years. Those who survived to become 'seniors' often suffered from poor health and died of infectious and parasitic diseases. The past century's progress in longevity has outpaced our progress in keeping older people healthy. Today's elderly, with the help of modern medicine and technology, often live with a disability or a degenerative or chronic disease that renders them dependent on others for a longer period of time.
The trend of putting these chronically ill patients in an institution has been giving way to community-based care by family members or friends. This approach is preferred by many who are most closely involved—the seniors themselves, those who care for them and the government.
With life expectancy higher than ever and the fertility rate at an all-time low of about 1.5 children per woman, for the first time in history, Canadian adults have more parents than children. About one in eight Canadians are aged 65 or older, and it is the adults 'sandwiched' between their aging parents and their growing children who are most likely to be caring for them.
This kind of informal caregiving helps seniors to maintain their ties with the community and their families. From a public expenditure perspective, informal care is perceived to be less expensive than formal care.
Some two million people provided informal care to one or more seniors with a long-term health problem in 1996. More than two-thirds of informal caregivers are between the ages of 30 and 59. More than two-thirds are working and more than two-thirds are married. About one in four also takes care of children under the age of 15.
At the same time, other social trends are affecting the informal support network. For example, the increase in divorce rates in the 1980s could mean that more and more parents will reach old age without much contact with their children—who may then be less inclined to look after them. In addition, women now stay in the labour force until later in life; this could have an impact on their willingness to provide elder care when they are preparing for their own retirement.
Undoubtedly, helping an elderly parent can be stressful and time-consuming. Nearly 1 in 5 female caregivers and slightly more than 1 in 10 male caregivers spend the equivalent of a full workday (7.5 hours) a week caring for seniors. Most of these caregivers report feeling burdened by the responsibility. About half feel their social lives, holiday plans, finances and sleep habits are affected. Men, in particular, feel that their caregiving responsibilities interfere with education or training plans, and job offers or promotions.