Whether it’s for an elderly person, a sick child or a friend seriously injured in an accident, more than a fifth of Quebecers take on the role of caregiver every day, shouldering the burden that this role brings, and sometimes even without it to know.
“Close help doesn’t just have one face […] The caregiver can be anyone, and the loved one being helped can be anyone. [car] Everyone is susceptible to it [le] “, explained Professor Sophie Éthier, researcher at the Faculty of Social Work and Criminology at the University of Laval, in an interview with the QMI Agency.
As part of Caregiving Week, she reminded that no one is safe from illness or accident and that more than one in five Quebecers (21.1%) would actually be a loved one, according to data compiled in 2022 by the Quebec Institute of Statistics.
For the state government, “any person who provides support to one or more members of their environment who suffer from a temporary or permanent disability of a physical, mental, psychosocial or other nature” is considered a caregiver.
When it comes to up-close care, no two profiles are the same. From the teenager caring for a drug-addicted parent to the person caring for his or her spouse with cancer, the examples are numerous, explained Ms. Éthier, also president of the board of Carrefour des famille caregivers Québec.
Help until you forget yourself
Even if someone has multiple caregivers, it is often one person – the so-called primary caregiver – who ends up taking on most of the tasks.
“This person will have to carry even more burden. There are so-called secondary caregivers who also come in and whose support is more punctual,” emphasized Guillaume Joseph, general director of L’Appui, an organization that supports caregivers.
The latter stated that more than 300,000 caregivers spend more than 20 hours a week supporting a loved one.
When you spend so much time caring for someone, you can start to forget yourself, Mr. Joseph said, adding that this is when overwhelm, exhaustion and illness set in.
“It has long been documented that there are physical health impacts for caregivers who experience higher mortality rates than their peers who do not experience mortality rates [ces] Responsibility,” argued Sophie Éthier
This is also a reality that can also be observed in hospitals.
“Often when [l’aidé] When someone arrives at the hospital, it’s because the nurse is very, very exhausted. […] The person is overwhelmed by what is happening, even if we try to get home support from the CLSC,” explains Marianne Desrochers, social worker in the oncology department at the Pierre-Le Gardeur hospital.
Many find themselves in precarious financial situations and are often forced to reduce their working hours or quit their jobs to care for their loved ones, even if they are legally granted additional leave, according to Ms. Éthier and Ms. Joseph.
Whether it’s administering medications, providing care, or taking family members to appointments, the caregiver often doesn’t need to be in the office. Some employers understand this situation and allow employees to continue missed work hours or telework. The professor believes that there is still a long way to go before care and work can be combined.
However, there are tax credit and employment insurance programs to help these people financially.
Again, let us help you
Other tools make it possible to help caregivers in other ways. “There are associations for almost all diseases. The first thing you should do is contact these associations [qui] Help families and carers too,” said Ms Éthier.
Many health professionals recommend reaching out to organizations like L’Appui to direct you to the appropriate resources, whether for relief, administrative or even legal services. There is also a telephone hotline, Info-Aidant.
For further assistance, caregivers can contact the Caregiver Information Hotline at 1(855)852-7784 or visit the support website.