Safety in home care for unpaid caregivers

Main Messages • The needs of unpaid caregivers who care for family and friends receiving home care are neither clearly understood, nor adequately addressed in the Canadian health care system. • As home care continues to grow, this will have implications for caregiver health and safety, institutionalization of home care clients, and cost to the health care system. • Four key problems that affect unpaid caregivers’ health and safety are: o conditions that cause or exacerbate abuse; o feeling trapped in the role without adequate resources or support; o the strain caregiving places on employment, income, and family resources; and o deteriorating health of caregivers due to the physical, emotional, social, and financial challenges of caregiving. • This review highlights the urgent need to address these issues in the Canadian Caregiver Strategy, which is currently under development • Specifically, the Canadian Caregiver Strategy should outline strategies for: 1. Providing training programs and structured consultation for informal caregivers; 2. Remunerating informal caregivers and including home care in the Canada Health Act; and 3. Integrating respite care, social support, and adequate professional services into home care.