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A Profile of Canadian Family Caregivers 1, 2

Over 3.2 million Canadians provide chronic care, eldercare, or end-of-life care to family, friends, and neighbours.

This means that 1 out of every 10 Canadians is a family caregiver.

There is great range in the nature of care provided to people with chronic illness, disabling conditions, and terminal diseases.

Care tasks can include:

  1. Meal preparation
  2. Nursing (“Personal”) care
  3. Housekeeping & maintenance
  4. Grocery shopping & Transportation
  5. Bill paying and banking
  6. Emotional support
  7. Constant supervision

What consequences do Canadian family caregivers face?

Family caregiving may be a labour of love; but it comes with pain and tears attached.

 

Seventy per cent of family caregivers say that providing care at home has been stressful. Seventy–seven per cent of these caregivers say caregiving has created emotional difficulties for them.

Family caregiving is a responsibility that impacts the workplace.

 

Twenty–five per cent of family caregivers say that caregiving responsibilities have affected their job performance. Another 25 per cent have had to quit work, retire, or change jobs.

It also pounds on the pocketbook.

 

Family caregivers often spend their own money on home adaptations, respite care, supporting a second household if the care receiver is in a care facility, and other expenses that can drain their sometimes already meager incomes.

Family caregiving can be expensive, life altering, emotionally trying,
and is simply far more common than most imagine.

(1) Numbers and Types:  Fast et al. A Profile of Canadian Chronic Care Providers (2002) and A Profile of Canadian Palliative Care Providers (2002); (2) Consequences: Health Canada. National Profile of Family Caregivers in Canada (2002).

 
A Caregiver's Bill of Rights


I have the right:

To take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the capability of taking better care of my loved one.
To seek help from others even though my loved one may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.
To maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I provide care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that I do everything I reasonably can for this person and I have the right to do some things just for myself.
To get angry, be depressed and express other difficult feelings occasionally.
To reject any attempt by my loved one [either conscious or unconscious] to manipulate me through guilt, anger or depression.
To receive consideration, affection, forgiveness and acceptance for what I do for my loved one for as long as I offer these qualities in return.
To take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to meet the needs of my loved one.
To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me in the time when my loved one no longer needs my full time help.
To expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired older persons in our country, similar strides will be made toward aiding and supporting caregivers.
  Wendy Lustbader
 
 
 

Alberta Caregivers Association
9808 148 Street, Edmonton, AB T5N 3E8
Email: caregiver@albertacaregiversassociation.org
Phone: 780-453-5088

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