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.