A new report has found that more than half of families are “too anxious or uncomfortable” to open up to their ageing parents about their future care needs, despite rising care costs and an increasingly ageing population, with one in ten actually “afraid” to talk to their parents about getting older.
The data forms part of a new campaign launched by Taking Care Personal Alarms. #HaveTheTalk has been developed to raise awareness of the importance of talking more openly about healthy ageing and exploring the care options available – before it’s too late.
With experts now saying that the typical stay in a care home could cost as much as £40,000 a year due to rising costs, having conversations about care options with family and friends sooner could help ensure older people are better prepared to make informed decisions and plan ahead.
The aim of the campaign is to get Britain talking about elderly care plans with their loved ones and stop hiding away from the topic because it is difficult to talk about, with the survey data showing that one in three survey respondents admitting they “don’t want to think about their parents getting older”.
Speaking about the campaign, Lauren Frake, Elderly Care Expert at Taking Care, said:
“The findings of this survey are exactly why we launched our Have the Talk campaign – we want to get Britain talking more openly about the future – however uncomfortable that might be.”
“The fear of talking about elderly care is an issue impacting thousands of households across the country, with a huge number of people admitting that the prospect of talking to ageing parents about their future care needs isn’t appealing, but it’s so important for families to tackle this issue head on.”
The campaign activation has included an Instagram Live with ex Olympian Michelle Griffith Robinson and Author and Award Winning Personal Trainer Lavina Mehta MBE who shared their current emotional struggles of caring for their elderly parents alongside family and work responsibilities, with both women acknowledging the pressures placed on females in the sandwich generation.
Taking Care have also spoken with different generational families on their thoughts on why it is important to #HaveTheTalk which you can view here.
Lauren added:
“Elderly care simply shouldn’t be a taboo topic in UK households. It’s no different to funeral planning, Wills and inheritance discussions or end-of-life wishes and with an increasingly ageing population, eldercare is a topic we simply cannot hide from.”
To find out more about Taking Care and how you can #HaveTheTalk with your parents, visit : https://taking.care/blogs/resources-advice/elderly-care-have-the-talk