Exeter firm breaks 'taboo' on elderly care with new campaign

Devon-based telecare firm TakingCare is raising awareness of the UK social care crisis following findings that 1 in 2 adults haven't made future plans for their care - despite millions having unmet care needs in the UK.

The firm has launched the #HaveTheTalk campaign to help Brits have more open, honest conversations about elderly care options.

Former Olympian Michelle Griffiths-Robinson has already lent her voice to the campaign, following her own personal experiences of caring for her elderly mother, as well as influencer Lavina Mehta MBE. 

The new multi-channel marketing campaign from Taking Care Personal Alarms has been launched after it was revealed that  nearly two thirds of people (64%) are unwilling to talk to their elderly parents about future care plans, saying the conversation makes them feel "uncomfortable", "anxious" or even "scared".

#HaveTheTalk, was launched to raise awareness of the importance of talking more openly about healthy ageing and exploring the care options available – before it’s too late. 

This campaign comes after data from Taking Care revealed 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 “afraid” to talk to their parents about getting older.  

Data also finds that 1 in 3 adults plan to give up work to care for their elderly parents when the time comes, with the main reason being “there is no one else who can help.” Often, these women fall into the ‘sandwich generation’, caring for both their own children alongside ageing parents or relatives.  

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 respondents “don’t want to think about their parents getting older”.

TakingCare has released a series of resources as part of the campaign to help 'break the taboo' on elderly care, including video interviews of families having 'the talk' themselves about the challenges of aging  and the pressures around caring for someone else, tips from a leading psychologist on how to have difficult conversations and personalised guides based on an individual's own circumstances - which can all be accessed via the website.  

The campaign features striking visuals, billboard designs and video content, and has been activated through social media advertising. 

Speaking about the campaign, Steve Gates, Managing Director 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.  Preventative measures that are put into place before an accident happens are so much more effective and can head off potential issues before they happen” 

Steve added:  

“It goes to show we have a lot of work to do to remove the stigma around planning and discussing elderly care. Our campaign is about removing the stigma from these conversations and encouraging families to be open and honest with each other when it comes to planning for the future – the sooner, the better.  By having a preventative approach and forward-planning view of elderly care options, families can limit the need to introduce reactive solutions, which can often be stressful, emotionally draining and expensive for both the elderly individual and their families.  

“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