With 1.5 million Canadians over the age of 65 providing care for a family member or friend, Federal Retirees is calling for better supports for caregivers.
The National Association of Federal Retirees is advocating for increased support for caregivers and meaningful recognition of the important work they do each and every day.
Most older adults report a preference to age in place, and caregivers are key to making that happen. The importance of caregivers’ work needs to be understood, recognized and financially compensated.
Caregiving is often unpaid and while it can be selfless, loving and rewarding, those who do this work are often faced with greater financial burdens and higher levels of stress. As part of a national seniors strategy, Federal Retirees is calling for increased support for caregivers. There is no better time to do this than National Caregiver Day on April 2 and National Caregiver Month in May.
And we need you to get involved.
- Tell your representative support for caregivers is needed now.
- Register to attend our May 1 webinar on caregiving in Canada.
The work of caregivers needs to be recognized and supported. Governments must work together to achieve this by:
- Revising and standardizing the definitions of ”caregiver” and “dependent” to broaden eligibility for benefits, financial assistance and other supports.
- Increasing the value of the Canada Caregiver Credit by making it refundable and available to all caregivers across Canada.
- Investing in tools and programs to assist caregivers, creating awareness of these supports and developing accessible and easy-to-understand resources about these supports for Canadians.
Support for caregivers is one of Federal Retirees’ 2024 federal budget recommendations. Read our budget brief to find out why better support for caregivers is needed now.
Caregiver stories
Many older adults across Canada — including our members — are caregivers. Read some of their stories here.