A labour of love
Since 2020, the first Tuesday of April has been designated as National Caregiver Day, a celebration of the contribution made by more than 8 million Canadians who give their time and toil to care for those in need. According to Statistics Canada, approximately one in four Canadians age 15 and older cares for a family member or friend with a long-term health condition, a physical or mental disability or age-related challenges.
Caring for those in need takes its toll. Caregivers who provide a minimum of 20 hours of care a week (54 percent) are more likely to describe their responsibilities as stressful. Caregiver burnout is often fuelled by the unrealistic expectations that caregivers place upon themselves. The cost to them can be physical, emotional and financial. It can impact their career or relationship with their partner, children or extended family. And it can lead to a deterioration of mental well-being.
“There’s a very big cost,” says Audrey Miller, a registered social worker, certified life care planner, and founder and managing director of Elder Caring Inc., a national care management company that has partnered with RBC Wealth Management. “If the caregiver does not look after themselves, then it’s two folks who will need care.”
What’s more, caregivers often modify their life or work arrangements. “Caregiver burnout is not just impacting the person doing the looking after,” says Miller. “It can impact those supporting the person who’s providing that care as well.”
Caring for caregivers
For caregivers, preventing burnout is often a matter of support. That support can take various forms. “Part of my job is to try to get you back to the role of son or daughter, so you don't necessarily have to be the primary caregiver,” says Miller. She often finds scenarios where an adult child supporting an aging parent is cleaning their parent’s house or providing an intimate level of care that could be handled by someone else. “Would your mother want you bathing her?”
A balanced approach to caregiving often begins with communication and education, explains Miller. “Conversations are always the starting point … getting everybody around the table in some level of discussion and agreement.”
That can be family members but can also include outside support such as financial advisors. And this is where family members can draw the lines between emotional, physical and financial support.
Will the person being cared for require a spot in a long-term care facility or some sort of day-to-day programming? Will they be aging at home? Which family member will play which role? When will outside help be needed? Can a professional manage the bills and assets?
There is help
Miller also points to community resources as a vital part of preventing caregiver burnout. For some, the public sector may be able to provide personal support workers. There are also support groups for caregivers looking after someone with a specific illness such as heart issues or dementia.
Importantly, the resources are out there, says Miller, but it's often a matter of the caregiver recognizing they likely need support. “If you can't think about those things for yourself," she says, "talk to a professional who can help you see what some of the challenges are and help look for support."
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