Caregiver Support · Baycrest Research
Why the person behind the patient matters, and a free tool clinicians can share.
The short answer
Family members and friends often make a patient’s care possible, but their own needs can go unnoticed. Recognizing caregivers and connecting them with support is part of caring for the patient. Baycrest’s free C-CART tool gives caregivers personalized resources and gives clinicians a simple next step.
- About one in four Canadians aged 15 and older provides care to a family member or friend.
- About one in five caregivers (21%) gives 20 or more hours of care a week.
- Many people who provide care do not see themselves as caregivers.
- C-CART is free, available in English and French, and online at c-cart.baycrest.org.
Many patients rely on someone outside the clinic. It might be a relative who books appointments and drives to them, or a friend who keeps track of medications. It might be a neighbour who drops off meals or helps sort out the health-care system. These people carry real responsibility for the patient’s care. Yet many never call themselves caregivers, so their own needs rarely come up during a visit.
How common is caregiving in Canada?
About one in four Canadians aged 15 and older provides care to a family member or friend. In 2018, that was roughly 7.8 million people, according to Statistics Canada. They were caring for someone with a long-term health condition, a physical or mental disability, or problems related to aging.
Caregiving is part of health care, not a side issue. In fact, more care is moving out of hospitals and clinics and into homes and communities. As a result, supporting the caregiver is now part of supporting the patient.
Who Canadian caregivers are caring for
| Main person cared for | Share of caregivers | Typical weekly hours |
|---|---|---|
| Parent or parent-in-law | 47% | About 4 |
| Spouse or partner | 13% | About 14 |
| Child | 8% | Just over 14 |
The time commitment varies widely. Most caregivers (64%) spend less than 10 hours a week on care. However, 15% spend 10 to 19 hours, and 21% spend 20 hours or more.
What challenges do family caregivers face?
Caring for someone can be meaningful work. However, it can also be isolating and exhausting. Many caregivers juggle another person’s health needs alongside a job, family, money pressures and their own physical and mental health. Often, they are also learning their way around services they have never had to use.
Support is also uneven. In 2018, about 70% of caregivers said they received some kind of help. Still, about one-third of those said there was another kind of support they would have liked. Among people caring for their own child, close to half reported unmet needs.
Signs a caregiver may need support
In a clinical setting, the signs are often subtle. A family member looks worn out at an appointment. Someone seems unsure how to carry out a complex care plan at home. Or a caregiver says they are “fine,” because the visit is, understandably, about the patient.
How can clinicians recognize and support caregivers?
Clinicians can start by acknowledging the person providing care and asking how they are managing. Taking that moment helps bring the caregiver into the circle of care. It can begin with two straightforward questions:
How are you managing? Do you have the support you need?
Asking directly matters. Many people who give substantial support do not think of themselves as caregivers. As a result, they may never look for caregiver resources on their own.
Spotting a need is only half the job. Clinicians also need something practical to offer, and they should not have to know every community service to do it.
What is C-CART, the Canadian Caregiver Assessment & Resource Tool?
C-CART® is a free online tool that helps caregivers identify their needs. It then connects them with personalized, evidence-based information, resources and supports. Experts and researchers at Baycrest’s Koschitzky Centre for Innovations in Caregiving developed it. Their goal was to turn Baycrest’s caregiving research into something people can use every day.
How C-CART works
The caregiver answers a short questionnaire. C-CART then recommends supports matched to their situation, such as health information, financial resources, community programs and translation services. It also accounts for things that make help harder to reach. These include where someone lives, the language they speak, and cultural or financial barriers.
C-CART works in English and French, and a built-in chatbot helps caregivers make sense of the resources it recommends. Instead of sorting through programs one by one, they get a clear starting point.
Start the free C-CART questionnaire →
How supporting the caregiver supports the patient
Caregivers often keep a treatment plan on track. For example, they get the patient to appointments, manage medications and help them stay safely at home. So when a caregiver is struggling, that support is at risk, and so is the patient’s care.
Recognizing caregiver needs is part of person- and family-centred care. This approach looks beyond the patient’s clinical needs to the people and circumstances that make their care possible. C-CART gives clinicians a practical way to act on that: notice the caregiver, ask how they are coping and point them to support that fits.
Frequently asked questions about caregiver support
Who is considered a caregiver?
A caregiver is a family member, friend or neighbour who helps someone with a long-term health condition, a disability or needs related to aging. That help can include coordinating appointments, managing medications, preparing meals or providing transportation. Many people who do this work do not think of themselves as caregivers.
How many Canadians are caregivers?
About one in four Canadians aged 15 and older is a caregiver. According to Statistics Canada’s 2018 General Social Survey, that is roughly 7.8 million people. They provide care to a family member or friend with a long-term health condition, a physical or mental disability, or problems related to aging.
How much time do family caregivers spend on care?
Most caregivers (64%) spent less than 10 hours a week on care in 2018, according to Statistics Canada. Another 15% spent 10 to 19 hours, and 21% spent 20 hours or more. People caring for a spouse, a partner or their own child typically spent about 14 hours a week.
Do caregivers get the support they need?
Not always. In 2018, about 70% of Canadian caregivers received some kind of support. However, about one-third of those wanted another kind of support too. Close to half of people caring for their own child reported unmet needs. Tools like C-CART help caregivers find supports matched to their situation.
What is C-CART?
C-CART, the Canadian Caregiver Assessment & Resource Tool, is a free online tool developed by experts and researchers at Baycrest's Koschitzky Centre for Innovations in Caregiving. It helps caregivers identify their needs and connects them with personalized, evidence-based information, resources and supports.
How does C-CART work?
Caregivers complete a brief questionnaire and receive recommendations based on their circumstances. These can include health information, financial resources, community supports and translation services. The tool also considers barriers such as geography, language, culture and finances, and it includes a chatbot to help explain the resources.
Is C-CART free, and what languages is it available in?
Yes. C-CART is free to use and is available in English and French at c-cart.baycrest.org and as a free mobile app. Caregivers can use it on their own. Health-care providers can also share it with the family members, friends and neighbours who support a patient at home.
How can clinicians support caregivers during a patient visit?
Clinicians can start by recognizing the person providing care. Then they can ask simple questions, such as how the caregiver is managing and whether they have the support they need. When a need becomes clear, they can point the caregiver to a resource like C-CART.
Sources
- Statistics Canada. Caregivers in Canada, 2018. The Daily. January 8, 2020. www150.statcan.gc.ca
This is an updated and expanded version of an article originally published on Baycrest.org on .
Find support with C-CART
Whether you are caring for someone or caring for patients, C-CART is a free place to start finding the right support.
Try C-CART for free Support caregiving innovation at BaycrestRelated Articles: Brain Matters, Care
