Partners in hope, support and comfort
In 2023, Carers Canada and its partners recognized the many caregivers who are providing care for someone with a life-limiting illness. Featuring caregivers’ experiences throughout their caring journey the campaign theme was reinforced through a series of discussion panels held on April 4 with caregivers, health care providers and researchers.
Balancing Work & Care
Over 6 million Canadians are balancing paid work and unpaid caring responsibilities. Representing over 35% of the labour market, these ‘employee caregivers’ combine work, caring for a loved one, family commitments and personal activities every day. Carers Canada featured the stories and experience (of employee caregivers and employer champions through our national campaign. Messages from Prime Minister Trudeau and other government leaders reinforced the importance of caregivers who balance work and care.
Experiences in Caregiving
For the 8.1 million Canadians, caring for their friends, family, neighbours and loved ones, their experiences are unique and personal. On April 6, 2021, National Caregiver Day, Carers Canada featured Canadians’ experiences in caregiving; how COVID-19 has impacted caregivers and organizations that support caregivers. The 2021 campaign reinforced the need to support caregivers through the unprecidented challenges of the pandemic that impacted caregivers physical, emotional, and financial health.
Every Minute Counts
From 5 minutes to an hour or even days, no amount is too small to show you care. The Every Minute Counts campaign reinforced the value of caregivers to all Canadians and shed light on the different ways individuals and organizations can contribute time to support caregivers’ health and well-being. Canadians virtually pledged more than 50,000 minutes of their time reflecting a range of actions from providing respite care, navigating the health system and getting groceries.
The Caregiver Resource Expo featured during the day included presentations from organizations across the country who are giving their time to support caregivers and heard from the caregivers themselves on why every minute you give can make a difference to their lives.
Caregivers’ perspectives on home-based palliative care
This campaigned showcased caregivers’ experiences of palliative care and increased awareness of the essential role caregivers play in helping individuals with life-limiting illness to choose and receive a palliative approach to care. The successful campaign brought to light the challenges caregivers face and how they can access resources to support end-of-life caregiving. The theme was strategically selected in alignment with a national health care policy priority: “how palliative care is provided in Canada.”
Connecting Carers
The “Connecting Carers” campaign successfully raised awareness of caregivers’ unique needs and the importance of connecting and accessing support earlier rather than later in their care journeys. Featuring information and resources on how to make connections to the healthcare team and to social networks, this campaign challenged providers and funders to explore new ways to support and empower caregivers.
Caring at Home
Carers Canada celebrated National Carers Day on April 3, 2017. The campaign “Caring at Home” increased awareness and understand of the important role caregivers play in supporting older adults with frailty, individuals with complex, chronic disabling conditions, and those at end-of-life to stay safely at home.
