VON Canada

1. VON Canada Caregiving in Canada Module 1 Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

2. Learning Objectives • To identify the trends in caregiving in Canada today. • To review the demographic profile of caregivers and care receivers. • To identify a common language that values and respects the role of caregivers. • To explore the needs of caregivers as wells as the rewards and costs of caregiving. • To discuss the status of caregivers as ‘partners in care.” Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

3. Caregiver Definition Caregivers are individuals who provide the ongoing care and assistance, without pay, to family members and friends in need of support due to physical, cognitive, or mental health conditions. (Canadian Caregiver Coalition, 2002) www.ccc-ccan.ca Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

4. Increasing Awareness • 2.85 million or (1 in 8) Canadians provide care to people with physical limitations or long term health problems of 6 months or longer (Statistics Canada, 1997) • As many as 1 in 5 Canadians providing care to family members (Berger, 1999) Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

5. Caregiving Work The type of care or tasks provided by caregivers can be grouped into four broad categorizes: • Management of Care • Support for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) • Support for Activities of Daily Living (ADL) • Social and Emotional Support (Armstrong and Kits, 2001) Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

6. Caregivers’ Needs “Caregivers need information and advise, time, psychological well-being, and advocacy.” (Canadian Association for Community Care, 1998) Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

7. Impact on Caregivers • Personal health and well being “The physical and emotional stress of caregiving seems to increase my COPD and arthritis problems.” - Caregiver Focus Group Participant, 2001 Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

8. Impact on Caregivers • Social well-being “One of the things I missed most during my caregiving years was engaging in ongoing volunteer work I enjoyed.” - Caregiver Focus Group Participant, 2001 Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

9. Impact on Caregivers • Financial implications “I have had two major surgeries with subsequent rehab…and I paid $6 000 for care for my husband during my second operation and therapy.” - Caregiver Focus Group Participant, 2001 Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

10. Impact on Caregivers • Employment related costs “I had to give up my office job and drive school buses because I couldn’t leave her all day.” - Caregiver Focus Group Participant, 2001 Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada

11. Concluding Comments • Caregiving is both physical and emotional labour. • Caregiving is part of a complex web of personal, social, and economic relationships and can take on many different forms. • A relationship between the caregiver and care provider must be understood in the context of the social-political environment cross the ‘public’ and ‘private’ boundaries of this relationship. • While providing care to a family member can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, for others, when the demands of caregiving exceed their capacity to cope, the result is stress, declining health, financial loss and mental anguish. Learning to Listen  Listening to Learn Module 1 – Caregiving in Canada