Caregivers Alberta is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2001 to empower caregivers and provide much-needed resources.
Did you know that over one million Albertans are unpaid caregivers, caring for family, friends or neighbours? They provide nearly 650 million hours of unpaid care every year while saving the provincial health care system $12 billion a year. The majority of caregivers are between 30 and 65 years old, but 20% are under 30 and some are under 15. Thirty-nine percent are caring for someone with a disability. Others care for aging parents or spouses, or help someone through cognitive decline, mental health issues, addiction, or a serious illness like cancer. Everyone is in danger of running out.
Caregivers Alberta is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2001 to empower caregivers and provide much-needed resources.
“Caregiving, even when it comes from a place of service and love, can be incredibly difficult,” says Sandy Sereda, Executive Director of Caregivers Alberta. “Our clients provide physical, emotional and sometimes even financial support, often at the expense of their personal needs and health.”
To see the absolute necessity of Caregiver Alberta’s programs and services, just look at the people who have used them. For example, 17-year-old Chantel became “mom” to her siblings after their mother died. Later, she would have her own child – born with special needs. “How do you prepare for such a trip? she asks. She enrolled in a program called “COMPASS for the Caregiver” and found ways to manage the role she played as a teenager and then again as a mother.
Another example is seen in Jackie, who takes care of her husband. He suffers from an aggressive form of multiple sclerosis. Jackie also took care of her aging parents. Exhausted, she sat in her car thinking, “What’s going on? Why me?” Through Caregivers Alberta, Jackie found both personal support and resources to help her cope with her changing circumstances.
Caregivers Alberta partnered with the University of Alberta for research that found that: 52% of caregivers find their own relationships with their partner are affected, 55% are tired and 39% are overwhelmed. Fifty-one percent lack paid work time and 66 percent incur financial expenses (including 18 percent who report financial hardship due to caregiving).
It is important for caregivers to realize that they are not alone and that help is at hand.
Caregivers Alberta is the only caregiver-focused organization of its kind in Alberta, offering programs and services to caregivers, health care providers and employers.
Caregivers have access to one-on-one coaching, virtual peer support meetings and the COMPASS for the Caregiver workshop series. The organization also offers educational workshops for caregivers and professionals, as well as referrals to external resources and networks. Employers can contact Caregivers Alberta to set up programs and presentations for their teams, get information and resources, or have a program customized for their organizations.
If you, or someone you love, are a caregiver, Caregivers Alberta understands and is here to help.
You don’t have to feel isolated in your challenges. It is normal for caregivers to experience frustration, grief and even anger. And, it’s important to remember that caregivers need care too.
For more information, visit caregiversalberta.ca or follow Caregivers Alberta on Facebook, TwitterInstagram, LinkedIn or YouTube.
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May is Caregiver Awareness Month. In honor of this, Caregivers Alberta invites you to its first-ever virtual conference. Caregivers Together 2022 runs May 12-14, with insightful workshops on managing your care recipient’s finances and legal affairs, finding respite, accessing financial support, and more.
Register at https://hopin.com/events/caregivers-together-2022 by May 4th to be entered into a draw to win a $100 Caregiver Care Package, André Picard’s new book no longer be overlooked, and art from local artists.
