National Conference on Caregiving promotes pan-Canadian dialogue

GATINEAU, QUEBEC - October 18, 2005 — Initiatives to better support unpaid caregivers were discussed at this week's National Conference on Caregiving. The conference was hosted by Minister of State Tony Ianno, with the support of the Canadian Caregiver Coalition.

"The Government of Canada recognizes the vital contributions unpaid caregivers are making to Canadian society," said Minister of State (Families and Caregivers) the Honourable Tony Ianno. "We also know about the challenges they face. That is why we decided to hold this conference. I am committed to sharing ideas with members of the caregiving community to identify the best ways to better support our caregivers."

The Conference was held to further build on the caregiving dialogue at a pan-Canadian level. In the past months, Minister Ianno has undertaken a series of consultations with stakeholders in many regions of the country, and online with individuals, to discuss ways to support unpaid caregivers.

During the Conference, participants including caregivers, family support groups, service providers, disability, senior and illness-specific organizations, members of the private sector, unions, academics, and diversity groups including Aboriginals, established a common understanding of the challenges facing caregivers and worked to identify strategies to better support caregivers.

These discussions and recommendations will complement the input already received through consultations. Social Development Canada will report back to Canadians on conference results in the near future.

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For information, please contact:

Kelly Ouimet
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Tony Ianno
Minister of State (Families and Caregivers)
(613) 941-3656

Media Relations
Social Development Canada
(613) 941-1110

BACKGROUNDER

Caregivers

Unpaid Caregiving in Canada

Caregivers provide care and assistance to someone with a physical, cognitive, or mental health condition. Commonly referred to as unpaid caregivers, they are family members or friends who offer these services either by choice or by necessity. Unlike paid care providers, unpaid caregivers are not paid for their work.

Today, more and more Canadians are receiving care in their homes. It has been estimated that caregivers provide more than 80 percent of all the care needed by people with long-term health problems.

Caregivers often face the challenge of trying to balance work, their own health needs, and caregiving responsibilities. Stress and fatigue result, often to the point where caregivers become care receivers themselves. A proportion of caregivers reduce work hours, or leave employment altogether, for caregiving reasons. These caregivers face immediate and long-term economic and non-economic repercussions.

Providing care at home is not a new phenomenon. What has changed are the circumstances under which families now provide care. In Canada our population is aging and the elderly are living longer. More and more women—our traditional caregivers—are in the workforce, and families are smaller and more dispersed. These demographic and social trends are leading to an imbalance in the growing demand for caregivers at a time when the supply is diminishing.

The Government's Commitment

The Government of Canada has recognized the importance of caregivers and has pledged to increase support for those providing care.

The October 2004 Speech from the Throne committed the Government to improving existing tax-based support for family caregivers. Also, as the Prime Minister noted in his reply to the Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada is working with the provinces, territories, and stakeholders to increase support for family caregivers—Canadian women and men who provide care to loved ones.

Budget 2005 helps family caregivers with the higher costs of caregiving. The Government of Canada has increased its existing tax-based support for home based caregivers, doubling to $10,000 the medical and disability-related expenses that informal caregivers can claim under the Medical Expenses Tax Credit.

Consulting Canadians

Caregiving is an emerging public policy issue. It is important for the Government to consult with Canadians to understand the challenges unpaid caregivers face and their varied needs. A series of regional roundtables, online consultations, and the National Conference on Caregiving (October 17-18, 2005) are providing the information and direction needed to help develop a national caregivers strategy.

Government of Canada Assistance

These are some examples of existing federal investments and programs for caregivers:

• The Medical Expenses Tax Credit, the Caregiver Tax Credit, and the Infirm Dependent Tax Credit recognize the costs associated with caregiving by reducing a claimant's overall tax burden.
  
  
• The Employment Insurance (EI) Compassionate Care Leave Benefit offers up to six weeks of income replacement for family members who must leave work to care for a dying relative.
  
  
• The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) general drop-out provision exempts from a person's pension calculation up to 15 percent of his or her years of low or no income (e.g., while carrying out caregiving responsibilities).
  
  
• Labour legislation supports flexibility in federally regulated workplaces.
  
  
• First Nations health programming (e.g., home and community care program, adult care program).
  
  
• Veterans' programming (e.g., Veterans' Independence Program, respite care).
  
  
• Transfer payments to provinces and territories (e.g., Canada Social Transfer) to support programs and services for caregivers.

Statistics on Caregiving

• In 2002, 23% of Canadians aged 45–64 provided care to seniors. Of this group, 70% were also employed (General Social Survey, 2002).
  • On average, these Canadians provided 23 hours of unpaid caregiving per month (29 hours for women, 16 for men)
  • 27% of those aged 45–64 with children at home also cared for seniors
  
  
• Over 2 million adults (aged 15 and over) with disabilities receive help, mostly from family members, with everyday activities (Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, 2001).
  
  
• Of these adults with disabilities:
  • 63% received help from family members living with them
  • 42% received help from family members who did not live with them
  • Less than a quarter (24%) received help from organizations or agencies—the same percentage as those receiving help from friends and neighbours (help could come from more than one source)