who’s caring for canada’s caregivers?
3 minute read
caregivers in canada continue to be overworked and undervalued.
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a report released by the canadian centre for caregiving excellence (ccce) paints a grim picture of how overworked and undervalued caregivers can be and how broken the state of caregiving in canada is. the data was collected through the ccce’s national caregiver survey in the summer of 2023.
over 3,000 caregivers and care providers participated in the survey, all from diverse backgrounds, including racialized people, indigenous people, those belonging to the lgbtq2s+ community, and young caregivers. the commonalities these people face shows that their physical, mental, and financial well-being is nowhere near where it should be.
the well-being of canada’s caregivers
caregiving can be a fulfilling and rewarding career, but it can also be challenging, underpaid, and provide little to no room for a person to take care of themselves. the results of the survey showed that as many as 25 per cent of canada’s caregivers have fair to poor states of mental health.
the wavering mental state of canada’s caregivers can be tied to several facets of the job, such as worrying about those they care for, feeling tired from burning the candle at both ends and feeling overwhelmed by their duties.
overworked and undervalued
in many cases, caregivers aren’t getting paid at all to do the tasks required to help someone live their best life while dealing with chronic illness or disease.
typically, caregivers work an additional 30 hours of unpaid care per week. it’s working close to two full-time jobs for those already employed, and only one of which brings in any money.
because of that, the financial stress associated with caregiving is high. as many as 50 per cent of caregivers experienced distress over their fiscal situation because of their duties to others, with 22 per cent spending their own money to support the person they care for. on top of that, 22 per cent also reported spending an additional $1,000 a month out of their own pockets to facilitate care for others in their lives.
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aging caregivers
as the canadian population continues to get older, it’s expected that many will age out of their ability to care for others. this isn’t due to a lack of wanting to continue the job but rather to contend with their own health issues and limitations in accessing support to perform their caregiving responsibilities meaningfully.
roughly 20 per cent of canada’s caretakers are over 65. unfortunately, even though they may need more support, they are often left in the lurch regarding additional resources that can help support their responsibilities. this means that if they need assistance with home modifications to improve care, respite or transportation services, they are often out of luck and left to figure things out independently.
poor working conditions driving care provider shortage
the people who take care of the most vulnerable groups in canada are often left behind when it comes to compensation, adequate staff relief, and lack of safety. these people put their all into ensuring the well-being of others, such as those with disabilities, and more often than not, the poor working conditions they face drive career changes.
as many as 80 per cent of care providers in the country, including direct support professionals and personal support workers, reported feeling underpaid. they also do not feel safe in their place of employment, and a lack of proper staffing means that these people are forced to spend more time than they should be doing their jobs because there aren’t enough caregivers to go around.
barriers faced by diverse communities
those belonging to diverse communities, such as racialized, indigenous, and lgbtq2s+ care providers, reported an increase in negative experiences with caring when compared to those who don’t belong to these groups. racialized caregivers reported financial hardship at a rate of almost 50 per cent, whereas those not in this group reported the same hardship, but at a lower rate of 34 per cent.
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fighting for change to protect canada’s caregivers
the ccce is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of canadians. their main goal is to address the disparities care providers face in the country. there is still a long way to go to change the tides and give more assistance to caregivers across the country, but the ccce will continue to establish new initiatives and plans to implement changes across the board so that those who care for vulnerable populations aren’t left behind.
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