Millennials Not As Respectful to Seniors But Firmly Committed to Aging Parents and Grandparents

Bayshore HealthCare survey shows 18-34 cohort quicker on car horn yet keen to care for loved ones       

TORONTO, June 11, 2014 /CNW/ - A quarter of Canadians aged 18 to 34 will switch checkouts at the grocery store if a senior is ahead of them and one in seven will honk at a senior who they think is driving too slow. Yet, the same group – the millennial generation -- is more committed to caring for aging parents and grandparents than older groups, says a new survey by Bayshore HealthCare to mark Ontario's Seniors' Month.

Millennials are showing signs of growing intolerance toward seniors, with a third believing that seniors should not get any special treatment. Sixty-one per cent are willing to help a senior with a heavy bag and only 37 per cent strongly agree that they would go out of their way to help a senior in need.

Impatience skews toward male millennials, with 20 per cent of men 18 to 34 happy to lay on the horn if they are stuck behind a slow-driving senior. Only 6 per cent of people in older generations admit to honking at seniors.

On a positive note, 69 per cent of millennials believe it is their responsibility to care for elderly parents and grandparents, compared with 58 per cent of Canadians who are 35-plus.

Recognizing the importance of living independently, 78 per cent of millennials want to help keep their parents and grandparents living in their own homes as long as possible. Two-thirds are willing to make lifestyle sacrifices, such as fewer restaurant meals, to afford services such as home care. Just over half (56%) of older Canadians are as willing to make the same sacrifices.

"The growing impatience over seniors is worrisome, and not the results we were hoping for when we commissioned the Seniors' Month survey," says Stuart Cottrelle, President of Bayshore HealthCare Ltd. "But I am relieved to see that the current generation is deeply committed to helping aging parents and grandparents enjoy the highest possible quality of life, recognizing the importance of helping them live independently in their own homes as long as possible."

A quarter of millennials are already caring for elderly loved ones and 14 per cent are budgeting for longer-term needs such as home care. While a third of them look forward to an inheritance, 58 per cent are not expecting any money.

About the survey

From May 30th to June 3rd 2014 an online survey was conducted among 3,041 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 1.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About Bayshore HealthCare

Bayshore HealthCare Ltd. is one of the country's leading providers of home and community health care services and a Canadian-owned company. Its services are purchased by government care programs, insurance companies, workers' compensation boards, health care organizations, the corporate sector and the public. The Bayshore brand extends across four business divisions: Bayshore Home Health (medical and non-medical home care and staffing services), Bayshore Specialty Rx (specialty pharmacy, infusion and pharmaceutical patient support services), Bayshore Therapy & Rehab (physiotherapy and rehabilitation services) and Bayshore Dialysis (dialysis centers). The company's goal is to enhance the quality of life, well-being, dignity and independence of Canadians of all ages. Bayshore HealthCare has been a recipient of Canada's Best Managed Companies award since 2006. For more information, call 1-877-289-3997 or visit www.bayshore.ca.

SOURCE: Bayshore HealthCare

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