National Caregiver Day, April 5, is an important time to reflect and thank the caregivers in our lives – but also to raise awareness of the challenges they can face as a result of their caregiving role. Caregivers are at risk of experiencing poor mental well-being, including feelings of stress, burnout, and low mood. It is a day to acknowledge that caregivers need care, too.
It’s estimated that one in four Canadians are unpaid caregivers to someone in their lives. With the aging population in Canada, the face of caregiving is growing more and more complex. Caregivers, often aging themselves, may provide support for their parent(s), spouse, child, other relative, neighbour, friend, or a number of the above. That support may be needed for a variety of reasons, including both physical and mental health challenges that impact people’s ability to care for themselves. While juggling multiple caregiving responsibilities, many caregivers are also balancing their work duties, as well as their own health.
Thanks to the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, CMHA Ontario and CMHA Toronto are proud to offer caregivers 55 and older a free education opportunity that can improve feelings of stress and low mood. For more information about this initiative, please visit the caregivers section of the CMHA Ontario website.