The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that fewer than one in five Canadians have a comprehensive plan for the care of an aging or sick family member, according to a recent survey by Sun Life Financial. The Globe's Meera Raman writes that Sun Life's survey found almost identical responses in Canada and the United States, with just 19 per cent of Canadians and 18 per cent of Americans saying they are fully prepared to care for ailing relatives. The research, which was also conducted in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, found a higher share of respondents in those countries has a care-giving plan in place. But even there, only 30 per cent of respondents on average said they felt fully prepared to care for aging or sick relatives. The findings highlight a common planning blind spot for millions of households around the world, particularly in countries such as Canada, where an aging population is putting increasing financial pressures on families. Over the next two decades, the number of Canadians aged 85 and older could triple to nearly 2.5 million, according to Statistics Canada. On average, caregivers spend $7,025 out of pocket each year to caregiving responsibilities.