Ketcia Peters

The white rabbit hole

by Ketcia Peters

When I first started the draft for this article, I didn’t realize how deep the white rabbit hole would have been.

As it happens, I’ve got much more to say than what one article could contain. Thus, I will split my writing into different pieces. I wouldn’t want to write something that doesn’t fully grasp the topic.

Now, you’d ask what could be the topic that created these many troubles.

Well, it’s a topic I could say to know deeply and extensively, but as funny as it may appear, not enough: elders.

As some of you may know, I run a retirement home, so I’m used to listening to both great stories and, sometimes, complaints.

Jokes asides, what I never understood, not to my fault most probably but societal, is how concerning some of the problems are.

They differ in so many ways that effectively, to know all of them, would be too specific and too difficult.

So let’s start from the basics and go our way up with the following articles.

Then, we should’ve addressed all the most fundamental bits and pieces.

Let’s start from this: Canada is NOT getting any younger. Quite the contrary, in fact: senior people are growing in figures considerably. 

According to Statistics Canada, the workforce right now is older than ever before. It’s a date with our demographic destiny, putting it as Laurent Martel, director of the center of demography, did.

Basically, we have more people between the age of 55 and 64 years old than Canadians between 15 and 24.

Who’s not already a retiree is approaching that period of life, and who should’ve taken those places does not exist.

We’re, quite simply, an old nation, and we are just now starting to notice all the problems which have already arisen.

And the ones which will arise in a few years must be taken care of, now! Otherwise, it’ll be late.

And in some cases, it already is.

A friend of mine asked me a few days ago: “Are really nursing and seniors’ homes the most appropriate solution for elders? Could they not stay in their own homes safely?”

See, the fact is that a great deal of people is not prepared enough (or, at all, really) to help older adults when they most need it.

And it’s not anyone’s fault. One shouldn’t be skilled in taking care of the specific needs of a loved one. Not if it’s not a professional in the sector, at least.

So, it appears necessary for places like mine to exist, we help people spend as much as they can independently and take care of what they could not do alone.

Unfortunately, there’s a catch.

Almost 50% of LTCs (Long-term care facilities) are publicly owned, and here come the troubles.

Since we are getting older, we will need more structures. It’s not even a question of if we’ll need them. We, most definitely, will!

As our loved ones are retiring or already are, problems due to old age will start to pop up. And I’m not talking just about the big diseases, the huge limitation of accidents, and problems from a distant past.

What I’m talking about is the everyday stuff that, believe me, becomes really troublesome, dangerous and/or difficult to do.

Even taking a shower, in some cases, can become fastidious.

I’m fully aware of the effect that these words mean on some of you. It’s not easy to think of yourself or a loved one incapacitated to do basic stuff, but old age is also that.

And acknowledging that doesn’t mean surrendering or being dark: merely being realistic.

Now, the catch is that we haven’t the strength economically, the resources and, since we lack youngsters, the people to do the job. Moreover, owning publicly half of the structures that provide these services means that it would have humongous impacts on our general economy.

You could ask: “Couldn’t we simply privatize the sector?”. The question is right and easy. Unfortunately, the answer is not easy.

Political ideologies aside, this solution could be functional in a short period and then would open pandora’s box.

Taking out of the general count the heavy price that would mean for all the public LTC which could close (of this, we cannot be by any means sure), privatizing the whole sector would cost the average person an amount that we cannot yet calculate. As of now, we cannot comprehend how deep and risky the impact would really be.

Spitballing wouldn’t be near low-budget. Considering all the people that have already spent a lifetime paying taxes, not being able to respect them and take care of them wouldn’t be right, would it? Plus, if they’re not wealthy enough, they would have to accept any condition the private sector would grant/provide.

As we should know by now, wealth in this country is disproportionally in favor of some. But about this, we will talk in the following articles. 

Right now, I want just to conclude by letting you, the people, start a conversation on the matter. It’s a bigger deal than what we could think of, and we need to start talking about it. For real. Without political prejudice.

We need a solution that will guarantee real progress and true justice.

We owe that to our retiree, we owe that to our loved ones, and we owe that to ourselves and our children.

Let’s find a solution. Together.

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