The role of volunteers and essential caregivers—or natural caregivers—is so important. We've come to see them as key partners for us in long-term care homes.
I'll use an example from my own province, in which, just prior to the pandemic, it was documented that long-term care homes received 30,000 hours a month of volunteer time. The significance of this contribution to supporting the quality of life for residents is very noteworthy.
I would suggest that equipping employers to strengthen their engagement with the volunteers and essential caregivers is very important. It is sort of left to the homes to find a lot of resources and to offer them specific training and opportunities for engagement and community-based activities that really create a strong link between the residents and their local community, so looking at funding for activities that strengthen and educate these audiences is critical.