Family Day often evokes images of families enjoying the outdoors together, playing board games or sharing a meal. But these images neglect the hidden care that nearly eight million caregivers across Canada provide.
One in four Canadians aged 15+ provide care to family, friends and neighbours with chronic health problems, physical or mental disabilities or functional limitations.
The ongoing nature of this care work comes with both rewards and penalties. Caring for family and friends helps people give back, feel close and can give people a sense of competence and purpose. At the same time, many caregivers have to deal with their own poor health, strained social connections and out-of-pocket expenses.
These negative outcomes threaten the sustainability of caregivers’ care work and affects their well-being. Family caregiving is often ignored because it is unpaid, undervalued, hidden in the privacy of homes and care facilities and done primarily by women…
Image of newspapers: flickr user Jon S
Project Lead
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Janet Fast
Researcher