Can You Really Age at Home Today?

It’s everyone’s dream. Staying at home, in your own house, with your furniture, the smell of coffee, and those worn slippers that know exactly where to fit under the bed. It’s the ideal scenario you hear in every family: “Mom wants to stay home as long as possible.” And yet, between political promises and reality on the ground, the gap is widening. Aging at home is possible… but not without effort, not without help, and certainly not without clear-eyed realism.

Between a Collective Ideal and the Reality on the Ground

Aging in place has long been presented as a national goal. And for good reason: it costs the state less, respects seniors’ preferences, and promotes quality of life. But in practice, the pressure on Quebec’s health care system makes this promise hard to keep. Waiting lists for home services are growing, human resources are lacking, and families often find themselves improvising.

In other words, we’re told it’s possible… but with what support? Because if your 82-year-old mother still hasn’t been called back by the CLSC for bathing assistance, but she has received a brochure for a senior home (with an indoor pool, lol), well, you get the picture. Staying at home is a privilege, not a guarantee.

CLSC and Home Care: Valuable but Often Overloaded

Yes, there are public resources to support aging in place: CLSC support, home nursing, help with personal care, and more. But these services are often rationed based on the severity of the case. Between the time a need is identified… and the time help actually arrives, weeks can pass. Sometimes months. In the meantime, it’s the family that steps in.

And here’s the familiar story: a niece filling in, a brother doing the shopping, a daughter installing a grab bar between two Zoom calls. Not to mention the “improvised care coordinator” role that defaults to the most patient family member. Hats off to the one who thought they had only signed up to “drop by and say hello once in a while.”

Relatives Become Pillars… Sometimes Against Their Will

Faced with delays or gaps in the system, families step up: modifying the bathroom, providing daily check-ins, attending medical appointments, preparing adapted meals… all this often while juggling full-time jobs, children, and constant stress. This role of “informal caregiver” quickly becomes overwhelming, even for the most dedicated. And sometimes, it breaks people — physically, mentally, and financially.

Because yes, some can afford a senior residence. But for the others? It’s like holding up a house of cards with three pieces of string and an old Excel sheet.

SecurMEDIC™: A Concrete Response to the Waiting Game

And this is exactly where SecurMEDIC™ steps in. Not to replace public services, but to complement them when they’re slow to arrive. A device like SmartSAFE™ allows a senior to stay home alone without being vulnerable. With the SOS button, fall detection, and direct communication with our 24/7 monitoring center, safety is ensured — without turning the house into a hospital.

This isn’t a vague promise. It’s a real tool, available now, that eases the burden on families and extends the time someone can safely remain at home. And given how the system is straining, that’s anything but trivial. It’s not a luxury. It’s the basics… restored, one button at a time.