Caring for the Carers

This paper is the text of a speech delivered at the opening plenary “A Care Work Force in Crisis” at the International Conference on Caregiving held June 5-8, 2011, in Toronto.  The Conference was part of the Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology.  The paper notes that a number of contextual factors related to patient-centred care, the aging society and health care reform have helped push caregiving onto the public radar screen.  The challenge is to define a set of practicable policy measures that would comprise a caregiving agenda.

The paper argues that caregivers represent a formidable work force that provides an essential service.  They have the same requirements as the work force involved in any other sector of the economy: financial compensation, good working conditions, and training and supports.  The paper sets out specific policy actions that might be introduced within each of these domains.

ISBN – 1-55382-531-4