In 2022, over 13.4 million Canadians aged 15 years and older—representing 42% of the population—provided unpaid care to children, youth, or adults with long-term conditions or disabilities. Among these caregivers, 1.8 million found themselves in the challenging position of providing care to both young and elderly dependents, forming part of Canada’s growing "sandwich generation." This dual caregiving role can quickly lead to burnout, posing serious risks to the caregivers' well-being and the quality of care they provide.
As an Aging Services Professional, recognizing the key warning signs of caregiver burnout and offering robust coaching and support for family and professional caregivers is essential. By implementing best practices like focused family coaching and team-based staff support, you can help address the complex emotional and physical demands caregivers face. This approach ensures caregivers are better equipped to manage care transitions and prevent burnout.
Understanding the different challenges posed by caregiving is critical for you to shape effective solutions for Canada’s 8 million caregivers. Tune into the latest ComForConnections episode for insights on caregiver burnout, approaches to guiding families throughout the care journey and more. Learn more about the following:
Ageing Services Professionals listen to our latest podcast episodes, view show notes and download resources by visiting ComForCare.ca
Thank you for helping older adults live the best life possible.