CareMakers sheds light on struggles of marginalized family caregivers

The Indigenous Elder and artist from the Mi’kmaq Ugpi’Ganjig First Nation shared with the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation that "being a caregiver meant I had to stop working, which put immense financial strain on me. When moving my mom into a care home, we faced communication challenges because she returned to her mother tongue, and no one could understand her. Additionally, there was a lack of understanding for our cultural rituals, like smudging, which meant I had to physically remove her from the facility to perform these important traditions. It made an already difficult situation significantly more traumatic for me and my mom."

Beckie’s experience is featured in results from CareMakers’ latest research, conducted in partnership with Leger, that reveals caregivers from marginalized communities face challenges navigating the healthcare system, balancing career and caregiving responsibilities, and making financial ends meet.

The survey’s findings include:

• A majority (68%) of family caregivers who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) report increased difficulty accessing essential support services for their loved one since the pandemic compared to 50% of non-BIPOC caregivers.
• Close to 40% of BIPOC caregivers report that they and their loved ones have experienced discrimination from healthcare professionals compared to 22% of non-BIPOC caregivers.
• Almost one in four (24%) of BIPOC caregivers report that long-term financial planning or savings are significantly impacted by caregiving, compared to 13% of non-BIPOC caregivers. Of LGBTQ+ respondents, 35% note experiencing financial planning issues (vs. 14% of heterosexual caregivers) and 20% say caregiving affected their educational pursuits (vs. 6% of heterosexual caregivers).
• Among caregivers who are or were employed during their time as a caregiver, 39% reported missing one to six days of work per year due to caregiving obligations, while 23% reported missing seven or more days. Within this employed caregiver group, those younger than 55 and BIPOC miss work up to twice as often as non-BIPOC caregivers and those over 55.
• Among all caregivers, no matter their background, caregiving most often impacts personal hobbies or leisure activities (34%), social interactions like spending time with friends or loved ones (32%) and vacations or personal travel (28%).

"Many caregivers face daily struggles to get the support they need, and this survey reveals that marginalized caregivers are impacted even more,” says Leila Fenc, Executive Director of the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation. "By highlighting their distinct challenges, we hope to build awareness that leads to better support for them in their vital caregiving role."

Since 2020, CareMakers has granted more than $7.6 million to charities that provide vital programs and resources to family caregivers, including organizations that serve marginalized communities. For example, a grant to the Ontario Caregiver Organization helped them adapt and translate their I Am a Caregiver Toolkit into 10 languages and a grant to Quebec’s Fondation Emergence helped them fund services tailored to LGBTQ+ caregivers.

"Caregiving is often an unseen and undervalued labour of love,” adds Leila. “No one should have to choose between caring for a loved one and their own wellness and future.”