There are many positive and uplifting testimonials, and we celebrate the caregivers' resilience and achievement. However, the accounts of unmet needs as well as struggles to see the job through and regain one's health at the end are far more common.
It is important that we put a human face on these challenges, so we are going to share with you some of their stories.
Here is the first one. Pam had to leave work several years before retirement to care for her parents. Although her workplace was able to grant flexibility with her work hours to accommodate medical appointments and the times when she was needed for hands-on care, they declined to do so. Her father and mother died two years apart. Shortly afterwards, her husband was diagnosed with dementia and now needs round-the-clock monitoring. She has lost her most productive pension years. As her husband was self-employed, his only income is CPP and OAS. She has no children, and she is very worried about her financial future.