Future planning
People all over the world are concerned about ageing
Old age is not something to fear
Changing world means aged care is changing too
A trip to Singapore working with the Agency for Integrated Care in early February reminded me of the extent to which professionals are working all over the world to support families who are unexpectedly struggling to cope with their older relatives. In some countries the unexpected struggle is caused because no one imagined that so many women would be in the workforce, rather than undertaking caring as part of their lifetime in the home. In other countries it is unforeseen because the citizens were living under the misapprehension that the state was going to pay for care for frail older people. Further, in some places, the extent to which people are surviving middle age is a surprise. People who imagined they would leave a financial legacy to the next generation are discovering that it will all be spent on their own care towards the end of life.
Old age is a good thing
We mustn’t dread old age. Old, old age is a result of success in public health, personal safety and clever medicine. But it is essential to consider how your own old age is to be managed. People are frightened to talk about it, as if it comes faster when you anticipate it too much. Nothing could be further from the truth. Talk about it with your family or advisers, the sooner the better, make a plan and then cross your fingers that you’ll have a great outcome. You have to cross the fingers because some of it is luck, but in my experience, the more carefully you plan, the luckier you get.
If you would like more information, you can buy my book Dementia, the One Stop Guide or Care Homes: When, Why and How to Choose a Care Home. I am available for consultancy for families or organisations. And if you have any further queries or questions, or suggestions for something you’d like to see me write on, please contact me via the Contact Page
See my new course on Dementia the One Stop Guide on Policy Hub here
