Abstract
More than eight million Canadians are providing care for their aging family members, relatives, neighbours, or friends. Due to staff shortage, eldercare facilities are also relying on their residents’ families to fill the gap of the care needs. Caregiving responsibilities have forced many employees to take time-off from work or take early retirement, which is a heavy loss of productivity of Canada’s national economy. This study employed a mixed method strategy, and with both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods: interview, focus group discussion, and a questionnaire survey. It shows that Canadians must take time off from work or to leave jobs for providing care to their loved ones, even when they are residing in a long-term care setting. This seemingly private matter is a very public one in the other side of the coin: family caregivers’ lost time in employment is affecting Canada’s national economy significantly. Government should work with stakeholders to develop a national strategy to tackle the issue. COVID-19 outbreak has revealed long-term care institutions’ struggle with severe staff shortage in Canada.
Highlights
In Canada, elders aged 65 and over has reached 17.2% of its total population
The objective of this study is to examine the issues relating to family caregivers’ eldercare burden and explores a societal and long-term solution for reducing informal caregiver burden in Canada
This study found there is a severe shortage of formal or trained caregivers, which causing reduced quality of care and relying on family caregivers for unmet needs of the residents; care for a loved one reduces the family caregivers’ quality of life; providing care to a loved one would cost informal caregivers’ health; informal caregivers’ employment and career disruptions is a cost to productivity in national economy; elders’ care needs require a sustainable strategy; and the government pays less in eldercare, but it costs the nation more
Summary
In Canada, elders aged 65 and over has reached 17.2% of its total population. Around 7% of the Canadian seniors are living in a collective dwelling facility, while the rest are residing at their respective private homes. Considering many older elders are with chronic illnesses and/or disability, caregiving burden to their families can be significant. Caregiving has become a national hot topic in Canada in recent years, because the nation’s high life-expectancy and its rapid aging trend have been driving the eldercare demand. Many Canadians are making private arrangements to care for their spouse, parents, or grandparents. Such private arrangements include take time off from work and retire early, which is causing the loss of national productivity and population health
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