A Profile of Family Caregivers in Ontario

Following five years of work on patient engagement, The Change Foundation shifted its focus in March 2015 with the release of Out of the Shadows and Into the Circle—a new strategic plan designed to explore the critical, but often unrecognized contributions and experiences of family caregivers. [...] Given TCF’s mandate to promote, support and improve health and the delivery of health care in Ontario, the plan focuses on the experience of caregivers within the health care system and explores ways to strengthen the ability of health care providers and the system to work more effectively with caregivers. [...] As part of the first year of our Out of the Shadows and Into the Circle strategic plan, The Change Foundation spent the winter of 2016 hearing directly from family caregivers through a project called The Caring Experience. [...] We need to recognize the role of family caregivers in the system, support them in it, and ensure the systems are in place to facilitate their ability to provide the care in between physician and health care visits. [...] MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE DATA ALSO SHED LIGHT ON SOME OF THE REASONS WHY FAMILY CAREGIVERS PROVIDE CARE, THE TYPES OF ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAREGIVING ROLE, AND THE IMPACTS THESE ACTIVITIES HAVE ON THE LIVES OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS IN ONTARIO.