Caring for Caregivers: Challenging the Assumptions.

Informal and mostly unpaid caregivers - spouses, family, friends and neighbours - play a crucial role in supporting the health, well-being, functional independence and quality of life of growing numbers of persons of all ages who cannot manage on their own. Yet, informal caregiving is in decline; falling rates of engagement in caregiving are compounded by a shrinking caregiver pool. How should policymakers respond? In this paper, we draw on a growing international literature, along with findings from community-based studies conducted by our team across Ontario, to highlight six common assumptions about informal caregivers and what can be done to support them.

Caring for caregivers of high-needs children.

The Caregiver Framework for Children with Medical Complexity, led by the Hospital for Sick Children, is a ground-breaking initiative that validates and supports the vital role of unpaid, family caregivers. The project uses a supported self-management model that includes a modest amount of funding to address pressing needs, and relies on Key Workers who provide ongoing education, counselling and care management to assist caregivers in planning over the longer-term. This paper describes the findings from a multi-stage, mixed-methods evaluation to examine the design and outcomes of the Caregiver Framework.