In this course, you will learn what long term care planning is and how to plan for it.
As you age and need more care do you want to avoid: • Institutionalization? • Losing independence and control? • Being a burden on family/friends? • Financial hardship? • Relying on government programs?
We all take delight in planning for vacations and holiday celebrations, but when it comes to planning for old age, we literally run the other way. Aging and death only happen to other people, and therefore we don’t need to talk about it – at least not yet. Why is this? • Many Canadians believe the government will provide any needed care • It won’t happen to me • My spouse will look after me • The kids will look after me
Additional reasons we should care about aging and care are obvious: • 225,000 Canadians turn 65 every year • By 2038, over 1,125,200,000 Canadians will have Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia unless a cure is found before then • COVID-19 has turned our long term health care system upside down
These realities make it abundantly clear that we all need to plan for old age – and not just financially. We need to understand the health care system where we live, plan where we wish to age and live out our lives and communicate our wishes to family members health care providers. COVID-19 has only reinforced the need to plan.
Independent Ageing and Long Term Care Planning Specialist, Speaker and Consultant
As the result of a life changing 14 - year dementia care experience, Karen founded the Long Term Care Planning Network, Canada’s leading resource centre for aging and long term care planning and education. Her seminar series, web site, newsletter and print/electronic tools are recognized as key international long term care educational resources. For the past 25 years, Karen has been a well-known speaker, educator, writer, media commentator, publisher and consultant in the field of caregiving and long term care, who has been published in leading geriatric journals in Canada. Over the years she has sat on many not-for-profit/government committees concerned with aging, Alzheimer’s disease, elder abuse and end of life. She has been featured frequently on television and radio, and helped write/produce the 13-part television/DVD series Caregiving With June Callwood. She has written articles for many newspapers and industry magazines; both Health Canada and the Ontario government have asked her to create articles for public education. In addition, she has been asked to create content on aging/long term care planning for several financial services training organizations, and to contribute chapters to academic books on the subject of family caregiving. She has developed and taught a course on aging/long term care planning for Ryerson’s LIFE Institute for the past three years. Karen has spoken across Canada to many consumer groups, professional associations and corporations, and has spoken on national tours for Mackenzie Financial, Sun Life Financial, Phillips, Hager & North, Credential Financial and The Knowledge Bureau. Karen is a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging (CPCA) and is author of a unique Canadian series of print resources including The 10-Step Long Term Care Planner. She has worked with Canadians and their professional advisors across Canada to help them understand the implications of aging and long term care on financial, professional and personal well-being.
