Dealing with and Affording a Mental Illness Diagnosis

My son is twenty years old and suffers from depression. For the longest time he has been in a very dark place, not willing to accept that he could possibly be suffering from a mental illness. What are his options for treatment? Well for starters, he works in a local fast food chain, earning minimum wages, and doesn’t have health insurance coverage to be able to seek the services of a psychiatrist of his choosing. He doesn’t have a family doctor so he either has to go a hospital emergency room or visit the local walk-in clinic in order to get a referral slip to see a psychiatrist, which could take months due to the long wait lists. No matter what, it will be a long time before he sees a doctor and receives treatment.

Statistics Canada released a study in September, 2014 that revealed the following data with regard to young people with mental illnesses.

• Since 2002 there has been an increase of about 10% of Canadians aged 15 and older who are experiencing a mental health issue.
• The total number of 12 to 19 year olds in Canada who are at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million.

The study also revealed how inaccessible it is in Canada to get psychiatric and/or psychological treatment. Only 1 out of 5 children needing mental health services receives them. 

A diagnosis entails both psychiatric and psychological assessments. Psychiatric services are covered under the public health insurance program, but psychological services are not, unless the doctor works from a hospital. That is, services from a psychologist practicing in a private office, outside the hospital, are not covered by the public health insurance program; therefore, patients must pay out-of-pocket.  However; with a private health insurance plan, a patient can afford counselling sessions as well as any prescribed medications.

When I think of the troubling issues my son is facing, I also think about the many others who, like him, will not have easy access to treatment. While Canada’s health care system has many advantages, there are areas where it falls short, and too many young people pay the price. 

A good healthinsurance plan can go a long way in allowing you treatment options and helping with the costs of prescribed medications should you need them.

Senior Home Care

My mother, who is 77 years old, suffered a stroke last year. As a consequence, she has had to leave her independent life behind and go live with my brother and his family. However, my brother and his wife both hold full time jobs and, as good as their intentions may be, they need help in looking after our aging mom while she continues to stay with them. This kind of scenario raises a valid concern for a lot of people in the same position. How do we care for our senior parents when we’re so busy (sometimes overwhelmed) with our own day to day lives? 

About 1 in 4 Canadian seniors receive home care each year, and about 50% of those seniors rely on friends, family, or neighbors to provide them with the help they need. Sadly, home care for the elderly can be quite a challenge, especially for those loved ones who must meet the demands of a boss, tend to the well being of their children, and submit to various other responsibilities. Sometimes it’s best to leave home care to the professionals!

Home care is not only valuable to the caregiver but also to the elderly because it allows them to continue leading a somewhat independent life. It can also delay the need for hospitalization, as well as decrease the likelihood of institutionalization, which subsequently benefits the health care system.

The most common types of home care programs usually include providing transportation, home maintenance or housework, and meal preparation. Depending on the state of the senior’s health and mobility, assistance with eating, dressing or bathing is sometimes required.

Use the services available in your community to help you look after your loved one. Organizations like The Red Cross  offer services such as bathing, feeding, grooming, meal preparation, companionship, and grocery shopping. The Red Cross was the first to bring Meals on Wheels to Canada, a program that helps those who are unable to shop for groceries and cook their own food by delivering nutritious, delicious and affordable meals to seniors in the comfort of their home. 

Health insurance plans specifically designed with seniors in mind are significantly helpful.  Some of the benefits not only include coverage for health care services, but also cover the rental of medically necessary equipment such as crutches, non-electric wheel-chairs, hospital beds, oxygen, and other types of remedial appliances. 

Having a private health insurance plan can make a big difference in the quality of your life during the golden years. It makes good sense to examine your options now.

See health insurance plans for seniors.

Canadian Health Report Card

According to the report card released by the Conference Board of Canada, British Columbia gets an A+ for being the province with the healthiest Canadian population. Residents have the lowest rate of disease, and the highest level of physical activity, resulting in low obesity rates as well.

Newfoundland has the highest rates of obesity, while Ontario came in second with Quebec, P.E.I. and Alberta not far behind.

B.C. and Ontario has the least amount of daily smokers and heavy drinkers.  We find at the bottom of this list Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the three territories.

In the categories of life expectancy, infant mortality, cancer deaths and suicides, Canada received a B overall, ranking 8th in a list of 16 countries.

New Brunswick earned a C, while Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan earned a D.

Other Country Rankings:

Switzerland, Sweden - A

Australia, Norway, France, Japan, Netherlands, Canada, Germany - B

Finland, United Kingdom, Austria, Ireland, Belgium - C

Denmark, United States - D

Canada compared favourably to other countries on risk factors that lead to chronic diseases, but the report indicated that the country's obesity rate is cause for concern, especially childhood obesity.

Aging Canadians and the Impact on Health Care Costs

In 2010, 4.8 million Canadians were seniors. Based on the established growth rate, that number will steadily climb to about 10.4 million in the next 20 years.

By 2031, all members of the baby boom generation will have reached the age of 65. The issue of whether or not Canada’s health care system will be able to meet their medical needs as time goes on is a significant concern. Canada’s health care system may very well have to change and adapt itself to adequately fulfill the needs of seniors.

Even though the elderly make up only 14% of the population, they incur about 45% of provincial and territorial health care expenditures. Today’s seniors are living longer than those of previous generations, a fact that has shifted the Canadian demography to an older population. Aging brings about limitations and chronic conditions that increase health care costs.

We need to think about how well we’ll do in the future under the existing public health care system. More and more seniors are relying on retirement savings and other income sources to help pay for medicines, treatments and/or services not covered by the government program.

Fortunately, there are health insurance plans available that focus on fulfilling the needs of baby boomers and seniors. Such policies include coverage for things like orthotics, home care, medical equipment, hearing aids, and hospital benefits.

What is Canada Doing to Address the Shortage of Family Doctors?

Are you as concerned as I am over the thought that there is a real shortage of family doctors in Canada? Did you know that a staggering 4.4 million people in Canada do not have a family doctor? 

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, more than 75,000 doctors were actively working in 2012, which was a 4% increase from the previous year, and $22 billion was paid out for their services, which was a 9% increase from the previous year. So let’s see, we have more doctors working, their pay cheques are rising, but yet, patients are having the hardest time finding a family doctor. Something doesn’t seem right! Geoff Ballinger, manager of health human resources at CIHI said “I don’t believe Canada has a problem with the number of physicians, I think we have a substantial problem with the types and, furthermore, the distribution of doctors.”

Why are medical students not choosing to practice family medicine when there is a dire need for this profession? And what is the government doing to entice future doctors to enter this category of medicine? 

According to Statistics Canada, family doctors work an average of 51 hours weekly. The fact is, in this day and age, many young doctors are not willing to work the long hours that are part of a traditional family practice, especially those with children. The emphasis today is on adopting a work-life balance.  

While family medicine saw a spike in the 1980’s, it hasn’t been a chosen profession for many graduate students since the 1990’s, one of the reasons being that it is viewed a lower paid and less prestigious position than a career in the field of specialized medicine. What has the government done to address the problem? Since 1998, when pay caps in Ontario were removed, family doctors’ salaries have generally seen a substantial increase. In 2004, a yearly salary for a family doctor was about $200,000 and that amount steadily rose to $300,000 by 2010. As a result, family medicine professionals in Ontario have more than doubled over the last 10 years. 

Cities like Cambridge, Ontario present a good example to other Canadian cities as they’ve begun to handle the problem by mounting physician recruitment campaigns to entice young doctors to open practices in their communities. The response has been a positive one. Part of their recruitment plan includes outlining the highlights of living and working in the city for doctors and their families.

What have doctors and clinics done to address the issues of heavy case loads? Doctors who are practicing family medicine are finding ways to ‘lighten the load’ by joining group practices. Clinics have begun to hire more registered nurses who can interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, and perform specific procedures, which are usually performed by doctors. 

It’s a work in progress.  Hopefully, as the needs of both doctors and patients are addressed, and the shortage of family doctors becomes ever more apparent, a greater number of future doctors will choose family medicine as their specialty.