CALGARY, Alberta (CBC News), December 3, 2007:
A growing number of Calgarians are caring for older family members, forcing changes to their own jobs and financial situations, according to a new study.
"There is a belief from the policy side that family caregiving is cost-saving," said Prof. Daniel Lai, a social work professor at the University of Calgary.
'It is time to recognize the social and economic costs that family caregivers entail when they take up such roles.'Dr. Daniel Lai, University of Calgary professor
"While there may be some truth to this, it is time to recognize the social and economic costs that family caregivers entail when they take up such roles."
Out of 1,378 Calgarians surveyed by Lai's team, almost 40 per cent have cared for a senior in their family in the last 12 months without being paid.
That number is much higher than the 18 per cent of Canadians ages 35 and up who acted as caregivers in 2001, according to Statistics Canada.
While 80 per cent of caregivers in Calgary said they were more than happy to help a loved one, almost one-quarter admitted that the extra expenses — such as for travelling or parking at hospitals — have negatively affected their family's quality of life.
Physically, 37 per cent of caregivers said they were exhausted.
Many people in Lai's survey also said that caregiving disrupts their jobs:
53 per cent sometimes or frequently made phone calls at work related to caregiving. The majority of the calls lasted more than half an hour.
44 per cent sometimes or frequently rearranged their work schedules.
33 per cent took time off work to take a loved one to services such as medical appointments.
Lai said the study shows there needs to be more programs and support for family caregivers in Calgary.
More than one-third of respondents had no information about home support services. Fewer than one-tenth of caregivers took advantage of respite care available to them.
Copyright © CBC 2007
Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Calgary is the third largest civic municipality, by population, in Canada. As of the 2007 civic census, Calgary's population was 1,019,942. The metropolitan population (CMA) was 1,079,310 in 2006,[3] making Greater Calgary the fifth largest Census Metropolitan Area in the country. Source: Wikipedia
