Thank you. It's a really important question, and there are so many different layers to it.
First, I think it's important that you know about the positive feedback we have received from caregivers on the caregiver benefit. It is a welcome opportunity for caregivers to be recognized for their commitment and the sacrifices they make as a part of their caregiving role.
Prior to the pandemic, one of the most common questions we received from caregivers on our helpline was, “What do I do with these tax credits if they don't make a difference to me based on my financial circumstances?” I think that's an important piece of information for us to convey to you: The kinds of financial supports that caregivers often benefit from may be dependent on their particular financial circumstances. They would like to see more opportunity for things like the caregiver benefit to be available in the long term, so that it is a recognition of that time and the input that they're making.
The other thing that I think your question highlights in terms of that intergenerational caregiving is that many people who receive care from caregivers will receive that care from several different people, whether they are family members, community members, etc. Whilst we are in firm support of the recognition of essential caregivers—and that's been very important in hospital and long-term care and other settings—we want to recognize that caregiving is often a collaborative effort amongst family and community members.
One of the challenges that I would ask you to explore is, “How do we recognize the constellation of caregivers that come together and that those caregivers may play different roles and be in different places?” Many families who are dispersed across the country may have different roles. I've certainly experienced that within my family. My sister, who lives in Alberta, did everything she could do at a distance, while I did everything hands-on with my mum while she was going through her cancer and palliative care journey. Recognizing the nuances in that caregiving is very important.