National Caregivers Day – April 6, 2021

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 was National Caregivers Day, a day for Canadians to recognize the enormous contribution caregivers make to our society.

 

There are almost 8 million family caregivers in Canada. National Family Caregivers Day encourages all Canadians to pay tribute to and celebrate them. In April, 2020, Parliament passed a resolution declaring National Caregivers Day for the first Tuesday in April. Canada became the first country in the world to have a day dedicated to the importance of the unpaid work carried out by family, friends, and neighbours in caring for the sick and elderly. , It’s been estimated that they contribute over $5 billion worth of unpaid work that relieves the burden on the health care system. In the past year alone, over 1.6 million Canadians became caregivers to an elderly relative and a further 1.1 million expect to become caregivers in the next 12 months.

 

C.A.R.P. understands the challenges faced by caregivers and the sacrifices they make  even more so during this time of stress and uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Bill VanGorder Chief Operating Officer of C.A.R.P. says, “Family members are the largest group of caregivers. C.A.R.P. members are eternally grateful to the hundreds of thousands of our unpaid family caregivers who are a part of the home care landscape. Canada is dependent on families to provide emotional support, and to assist their older parents, grandparents, and other family members when they can no longer function independently. C.A.R.P. has been urging the Federal and provincial governments for provision of more direct financial aid to families may be needed so that they can be paid to provide home care support. Governments also need to address the need for more respite care.”

 

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National Caregiver Day