HAMILTON – April 7 is designated National Family Caregiver Day to recognize and honour Canadians who care for family members and loved ones. Caregivers are family members, friends, neighbours or other significant people who take on a caring role to support someone with a diminishing physical ability, a debilitating cognitive condition or a chronic life-limiting illness.
Our entire healthcare system depends on the largely unrecognized work of caregivers who, according to the Canadian Home Care Association, provide over 80% of the care for people with chronic conditions. Caregiving activities vary widely; they include helping with housekeeping and home maintenance activities, to helping an individual get to an appointment by offering transportation, for example, to providing personal care.
Balancing the various demands on their time can be overwhelming. Many have to juggle personal commitments, the care they are providing for someone else, and their work and professional responsibilities, working what amounts to two full-time jobs.
While essential to the individuals receiving care and our healthcare system overall, being a caregiver can be stressful. Caregivers often ignore their own needs in their effort to fulfill their caregiving and professional responsibilities.
“When our healthcare system relies so heavily on the unpaid work of caregivers, you cannot ignore their needs,” said Jane Loncke, Interim President at St. Joseph’s Home Care.
St. Joseph’s Home Care recognized the importance of providing support for caregivers several years ago when we introduced our caregiver relief services to give caregivers a respite from their responsibilities so they can take care of other important matters, which in turn helps relieve caregiver stress and burnout.
From all of us at St. Joseph’s Home Care, we celebrate caregivers today and throughout the year.
For more information contact:
Tanya Tomasino
Office of the President, Administration and Communications
Phone: (905) 522-6887 ext. 2225
Email: ttomasino@stjhc.ca
About St. Joseph’s Home Care
Established in 1921, St. Joseph’s Home Care (SJHC) is a not for profit charity dedicated to providing quality home care, community nursing and personal support services in the Greater Hamilton Area, with services including : nursing, foot care, personal support, therapies, caregiver relief, companionship, home cleaning, home maintenance, snow removal, lawn care, and meal preparation.
About St. Joseph’s Health System
Founded in the healing mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton, St. Joseph's Health System was established in 1991 to meet the challenges of the changing environment for delivery of health and social services and takes pride in a system-wide commitment to caring for the whole person: body, mind and spirit. Member organizations are: St. Joseph's Healthcare in Hamilton, St. Joseph's Health Centre in Guelph, St. Joseph's Lifecare Centre in Brantford, St. Joseph's Villa in Dundas, St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener and St. Joseph's Home Care in Hamilton. Each member offers services according to its strengths, from acute care, long-term care, and community care, to rehabilitation, hospice, community outreach, and mental health.