News from Canadian Caregiver Coalition

Members of the Canadian Caregiver Coalition (CCC) work together, and independently, to achieve positive change for caregivers at the federal and provincial levels of government. The momentum for family caregivers is building and this update describes just a few of the many initiatives underway across the country.

ARTICULATING ISSUES & OPTIONS:

• Senator Carstairs identified ‘support for family caregivers’ in her report Raising the Bar: A Roadmap for the Future of Palliative Care in Canada. http://sen.parl.gc.ca/scarstairs/PalliativeCare/Raising%20the%20Bar%20June%202010%20(2).pdf
• BC Law Institute and the Canadian Centre for Elder Law released a paper - Care/Work: Law Reform to Support Family Caregivers to Balance Paid Work and Unpaid Caregiving, which examines the extent to which the law assists British Columbians who are managing the double role of worker / caregiver. http://www.bcli.org/bclrg/projects/familycaregiving
• Report of the National Seniors Council on Volunteering Among Seniors and Positive and Active Aging addresses the importance of family caregivers. The Council’s new priorities ‐ labour force participation and intergenerational relation will intersect with family caregiving. http://www.seniorscouncil.gc.ca/eng/research_publications/volunteering/page00.shtml
• Canadian Cancer Society released a series of reports highlighting the incidence and impact of cancer and called for “easy and timely access to programs and services” for family caregivers. http://www.ccc‐ccan.ca/index.php
• The important role of family caregivers and the need for information, education and financial support was identified in the Alzheimer Society’s report Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society. http://www.alzheimer.ca/english/rising_tide/rising_tide.htm
• Reports from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) highlight the issues of family caregiving.  http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=media_20100826_e

ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS:

• In Alberta, the Caregivers Association has been focused on educating primary care networks on family caregiver assessments and working toward a provincial event in September. http://www.albertacaregiversassociation.org/
• A variety of organizations continue to contact the CCC to offer support and/or formally enlist as a partner. http://www.ccc‐ccan.ca/content.php?sec=6
• Partners undertook letter writing campaign to MPs requesting a resolution in parliament to formally recognize family caregivers.
• CMA president calls on the federal government to make family caregiving a priority. See CCC’s comment http://www.ccc‐ccan.ca/announce.php?annon=47
• Neurological Health Charities Canada Coalition (NHCC) calls for strategies to support family caregivers. http://www.mybrainmatters.ca/
• The Statistics Canada General Social Survey Public Cycle 26 will be dedicated to caregiving in Canada. This survey is due to be released in 2012 with results to be released in 2013.

FEDERAL / PROVINCIAL ADVOCACY:

• CCC submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance requests a National Caregiver Strategy; enhancement of current financial tax credits; ,odifications to the Canada Pension Plan; and, cross country consultations to enhance the General Social Survey Cycle 26 which is dedicated to family caregiving. http://www.ccc‐ccan.ca/index.php
• Liberal Party of Canada supporting the need for a family caregiving strategy – at the Spring Policy Conference; announced as a promise by M. Ignatieff; roundtables hosted across the country to better specifically address the needs of family caregivers. http://www.cccccan.ca/index.php
• Luncheon on the Hill (May 6, 2010) was attended by MPs and Senators from all parties. Remarks were made by Minister of State (Seniors) Diane Ablonczy. Canadian Caregiver Coalition /La coalition canadienne des aidantes et aidants naturels,110 Argyle Avenue, Ottawa, ON K2P 1B4 Tel: (613) 233-5694 (866) 593 5059 Fax: (613) 230-4376 www.ccc-ccan.ca
• Private member’s bill requiring the government to add spouses to the caregiver tax credit
• J. Wasylycia‐Leis, NDP, from Winnipeg, announced a private member’s bill requiring the government to add spouses to the caregiver tax credit
• Caregivers Nova Scotia hosted a luncheon to highlight caregiving – provincial Minister of Health Maureen  MacDonald and federal MPs (Mike Savage, Liberal and Megan Leslie, NDP) were in attendance. http://www.caregiversns.org/
• In Ontario, a private members bill to establish an Alzheimer Council and develop a strategy that includes supporting
• family caregivers has proceeded to third reading. http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet=&BillID=2337
• The multi‐party Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care will address family caregiving as
• part of their mandate. http://www.pcpcc‐cpspsc.ca/

INCREASING AWARENESS:

• Roy Romanow, chairman of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing and former premier of Saskatchewan, voiced concern for family caregivers at the release of the report, Caught in the Time Crunch: Time Use, Leisure and Culture in Canada. http://www.ciw.ca/Libraries/Documents/Caught_in_the_Time_Crunch.sflb.ashx
• Desjardins stats released on the costs of caregiving as a means of promoting its “loss of independence insurance”.
• StatsCan report ‐ Caring for a parent who lives far away: The consequences, shows a 25% increase in the number of family caregivers people aged 45 plus and discusses some of the ramifications. http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11‐008‐2010001/article/11072‐eng.htm

INITIATIVES:

• The CHCA National Home Care Summit will be leveraged to expand awareness of the needs of the family caregiver. http://cdnhomecare.ca/
• Alzheimer Society of Ontario recognized CCC through a partner award.