Caregivers are widely considered the “backbone” of Canada’s healthcare system (1) – a necessary support in helping Canadians receive care within the comfort of their homes.(2) Sometimes referred to as an “informal caregiver,” a caregiver is a child, spouse, or other relative or friend, providing unpaid support that assists with tasks related to aging, convalescence, physical or developmental needs.(3) 

“The responsibilities that go with being a caregiver can be really challenging, particularly for caregivers who are supporting someone with a long-term or chronic health condition,” says Amy Coupal, CEO of The Ontario Caregiver Organization, “And I think it's important to acknowledge that the caregivers are honored to provide the care that they do, but they do feel the pressure of the added responsibility and many feel isolated and lonely.” 

Researchers have determined that the support provided by caregivers in Canada amounts to 5.7 billion hours of work annually, the equivalent of nearly 3 million full-time workers.(4) While this unpaid labour reduces government expenditures on health care,(5) it’s provided at a cost to the caregivers. 

What Circumstances Are Caregivers Facing? 

More than 30% of caregivers began their caregiving responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while restrictions have eased up, the caregivers say the responsibility placed on them has not.(6) In fact, many caregivers say that coming out of the pandemic, their caregiving responsibilities feel more challenging, with many reporting they’re providing more than 10 hours a week of care.(6) 

For a large number of caregivers, this is on top of raising children and working their regular jobs.(6) As a result of their caregiving responsibilities, many say they feel like they’re in a precarious position at work,(6) and also describe financial concerns, such as lost hours – a result of having to take time off work to care for a loved one – translating to lost income,(2) and out-of-pocket expenses related to their caregiving.(2) 

With the extreme pressure the healthcare system is under at the moment, caregivers say they have also been handed responsibilities that typically would have been carried out by nurses, personal support workers, or other health care professionals.(6) 

“We have caregivers who have told us that they're changing feeding tubes, that they're providing wound care,” says Coupal, “As well as providing a range of care supports for individuals with chronic or longer-term health conditions. And we also hear that this causes a great deal of stress for the caregiver. They don't always feel confident in their capacity or their ability to provide this care, but they have to step up when those needs arise.” 

As a result of these challenges, caregivers say they’ve reached their breaking point, but feel they have no choice other than to continue with their caregiving responsibilities.(6) This pressure has led to physical and mental health challenges for more than half of caregivers,(3) some of whom haven’t been able to access supports or face long waits, with others unaware there are supports that could help alleviate some of the strain of caregiving.(6) 

How Home Care and Community Support Services Support Clients as well as Caregivers:

Research shows that when caregivers are without the supports they need to continue caregiving responsibilities, it increases the likelihood of care recipients entering a hospital or long-term care facility earlier than required.(3) 

“We know community support services play an important role in both the caregiver and care recipient’s journey,” says Coupal, “We know that caregivers need a break, they need to connect with someone who can provide advice and sometimes just a listening ear.” 

Caregivers cite transportation to and from appointments and indoor household chores as two of their main caregiving duties.(2) By tapping into home and community care services like Meals on Wheels, transportation services, respite services and adult day programs, caregivers can limit the time they need to take off work, and reduce the hours of care they’re providing each week, giving them some respite from caregiving duties.(3) 

Research indicates that in addition to supporting caregivers, these programs also benefit the person receiving care, and can increase their quality of life, too.(5) 

Where Do We Go From Here?

Policy-makers say our economy and society are bound to caregivers, and our healthcare system would not survive even one day, if all caregivers were to abandon their responsibilities.(3) 

With a large cohort of Canadians aging into their senior years, the dependency on caregivers will only grow. “We can expect the number of caregivers that will be providing physical and emotional support to family members, friends or neighbours is going to increase,” Coupal says, “And so it is going to be vitally important to support caregivers, so that fewer experience signs or experiences of burnout.” 

Policy-makers believe that investing in home and community support services(3) is key to supporting caregivers, so they can continue their essential service in a way that isn’t harmful to their wellbeing.(5) 

“Caregivers not only hold important knowledge about medical history, but they also enable people to remain at home, where that's feasible, and they're able to bridge the gap between family members, friends and healthcare providers, both in terms of information and in care,” says Coupal, “So they play that vital role at all stages of care. They mitigate risk, and they really are supporting those best outcomes for the individual that they care for.”