Number of Canadian caregivers to grow by 200 percent

A study conducted by the Canadian Association of Retired Person highlights the unmet needs of family caregivers across the country, according to The Daily News. It seems that many in the nation could benefit from homecare services, as more than a quarter (26 percent) surveyed have had to provide "intense caregiving" to an older adult.


Their responsibilities have also cut into finances and careers.

Twenty-percent of caregivers who responded to the surveyhave had to take more than a month off work due to the needs of a senior and 41 percent have used their own savings to provide care.


Health problems were found to affect half of the individuals who were caring for a loved one.


The news source reports that, by 2031, the number of caregivers is expected to grow by 200 percent, but the healthcare system is currently doing little to support the trend. In-home services and assisted living facilities have both gone unaided by the government.


Canada is not the only nation experience such a shift in demographics - in the United States, one survey conducted by health insurance provider Humana found that almost 80 percent of family caregivers are suffering from stress, according to HealthNewsDigest.com. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said that they had to miss work to attend to a loved one.


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