The dynamics of caregiving and care receiving in Canada

‘Informal’ caregivers, who are family and friends of people who need assistance with their care, are a cornerstone of Canada’s health and social care systems. With an aging population, the demands on caregivers will continue to grow in the coming decades. Most research about caregivers tends to portray them as a homogenous group, with some consideration of a limited number of family relations, for example spouses and adult children. In our project, we will explore and compare the diverse categories of family/friend relations in the caregiving dynamic. We will explore the relationship between these relations and other social locations (for example, age, gender, income, education level, ethnicity, urban/rural) on healthcare service usage, as well as caregiver mental health and physical outcomes. Using what we learn, we will make recommendations for policies and programs that are customized for different groups engaged in the dynamics of caregiving and care receiving in Canada.