Recognizing caregivers

Caregivers can be of any age and come from different backgrounds. The profile of these people is very diverse, in particular because of their own situation (for example, age, gender and gender identity, ethnocultural origin) and the situation of the care receivers (for example, age, nature of the disability).

According to the Institut de la statistique du Québec (in French only), 21.1% of the Québec population aged 15 and over are caregivers. The help they provide is an exceptional contribution to society. These people may, however, need support and special services. There are various resources, both in the health and social services network and in the community, available to support them.

Many people are unaware that they are caregivers, in particular because the support they provide is occasional or because they do not have a family tie with the care receiver. However, the government adopts a broad and inclusive definition of caregivers.

According to the Act to recognize and support caregivers, a caregiver is defined as any person who provides support to one or more members of their immediate circle who has or have a temporary or permanent physical, psychological, psychosocial or other incapacity, regardless of their age or living environment, and with whom the person shares an emotional bond as a family member or otherwise.

The support is continuous or occasional, and short- or long‑term, and is provided on a non‑professional basis and in a free, enlightened and revocable manner in order, among other things, to promote the care receiver’s recovery and the preservation and improvement of their quality of life at home or in other living environments.

It may take various forms, such as transportation, assistance with personal care and housekeeping, emotional support, or coordination of care and services. The support may also entail financial repercussions for caregivers or limit their capacity to take care of their own physical and mental health or fulfil their other social and family responsibilities.

To better understand the definition as well as the issues related to caregiving, consult the infrographic from the Quebec Observatory on Caregiving.

To view recent statistics on caregiving in Québec drawn from a compilation by the Institut de la statistique du Québec, go to the Quebec Observatory on Caregiving website.

Caregivers provide different types of support to care receivers. In the infographic “What is a caregiver?”, the Quebec Observatory on Caregiving presents several types of support offered by these people:

• Emotional or moral support:
  • Regular calls and discussions
  • Accompanying the care receiver to appointments, being present during important decisions
  • Providing stimulation (for example, to promote mobility, behavioural and language development, memory, etc.)
  • Protecting the care receiver’s identity and dignity (for example, by concealing or minimizing the effects of the disability from other family members or friends, by passing off the care receiver’s omissions as one’s own)
• Support for day‑to‑day and domestic activities:
  • Help with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL): grocery shopping, preparing and adapting meals (for example, texture, taste), housework (for example, doing the dishes, cleaning, laundry, sewing), exterior or interior work (for example, home maintenance, lawn care, gardening, landscaping, snow removal)
  • Assistance with personal care (for example, hygiene, hairdressing, shaving, assistance with dressing), toileting, assistance with getting up / going to bed, assistance with eating
  • Cohabitation or shared housing (for example, multigenerational home)
• Health care–related support:
  • Assistance with medical procedures and treatments (for example, following treatments and taking medications, changing dressings)
• Logistical support:
  • Coordinating care and services, organizing support, communicating with professionals (for example, translation)
  • Support for social participation (for example, social, sports and cultural activities, studies, integration into employment)
  • Transportation (for example, to medical appointments, the grocery store, the pharmacy)
  • Administrative and financial management of the care receiver’s affairs: banking operations, managing finances and administrative procedures
• Other forms of support:
  • Supervision on an occasional basis (for example, during a crisis or discharge from hospital) or permanently (for example, for someone with Alzheimer’s)

While many caregivers consider their responsibilities rewarding, the role can also have significant repercussions on their lives. It may limit their ability to take care of their own physical and mental health or to fulfil other social and family responsibilities. Caregiving can affect their professional life and their financial health. People can also experience the following consequences:

• worry
• anxiety and stress
• fatigue
• irritability and anger
• abuse
• feeling overwhelmed
• social isolation
• lateness and absenteeism at work, reduction of hours worked
• school absenteeism and the risk of postponing or dropping out of school
• late submission of work, reduction of study hours and difficulty concentrating in class
• transformation of the relationship with the care receiver

Given the consequences experienced during the time they provide support, caregivers may have different needs. The main needs are:

• respite services
• individual and group psychosocial support
• flexibility at work or school
• information and training
• financial and material support
• support for activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living
• information and services in their original language