Seniors in need, caregivers in distress:

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Family caregivers
Seniors in need, caregivers in distress 27 Family caregivers are often described as the backbone of the health care system as they are vital to health care, yet invisible and often vulnerable themselves. The role of a caregiver can begin suddenly due to a health crisis, and typically without training or experience. 38 Home care services are designed to complement the care provided by caregivers, not to replace them. 5 Home care providers help caregivers provide health and personal care (such as transfers, bathing, toileting, and administering injections), provide care when the caregiver is unavailable, and provide a break from caregiving duties, which families typically use to complete tasks such as grocery shopping and other essential errands. Being able to stay in one’s home with loved ones can contribute to maintaining quality of life for a vulnerable senior, and contributes to the family’s peace of mind. However, if a caregiver experiences physical and emotional stress or becomes physically injured, or for other reasons is unable to continue his / her duties as a caregiver, then the quality of care and life for the senior and the caregiver can be jeopardized. There is also a financial strain which accompanies becoming a caregiver—it may mean loss of income, additional costs for equipment, supplies, and medications, or paying for additional help. Who is providing the care? In 2007, 2.7 million Canadian family caregivers over the age of 45 were helping seniors with long-term health conditions. Three-quarters of caregivers were aged 45– 64, while one-quarter were seniors themselves. Nearly 60% of these family caregivers were women, and 57% of caregivers were employed. 39 Caregivers are most often women. 40 Our RAI-HC analyses show that if a home care client is married, d spouses are most likely to be the primary caregiver (74%), while nearly one-quarter (23%) of married home care clients are primarily cared for by an adult child. If home care clients are not married (single, divorced, or widowed), they are most likely to be cared for by their adult children (74%); other relatives are the primary caregivers for 13% of home care clients. Between 39% and 50% of clients in our sample live with their primary caregivers. Friends and neighbours are much less likely to be primary caregivers. Family caregivers provide a variety of support. They report helping most with transportation and household activities (see The impact of caregiving on page 28). Caregivers also help home care providers. For example, every time a new home care provider enters the home, a caregiver needs to explain the care recipient’s routine and preferences, and help orient the provider. In addition, a caregiver may help a home care provider by organizing medications to be given to the client, or with tasks such as lifting or moving the client from a bed to a wheelchair (which can place the caregiver at risk for injury). Caregivers also monitor the care that is provided to ensure that home care meets their needs and preferences—both the client’s and caregiver’s— and that tasks are completed effectively. 41 d. This analysis of percentage of caregivers for married and unmarried clients is based on pooled data across the five regions, but should not be interpreted as representative of Canada, since the majority of the sample comes from Ontario. The remaining analyses of RAI data are not pooled.
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