According to a Canada Mental Health Association report immediate family members reported high levels of stress when caring for chronically ill family members.
OXFORD COUNTY - A report from the Mental Health Commission of Canada has raised concerns over the rising number of caregivers suffering high levels of stress associated with caring for an immediate family member with a long-term illness. CMHA Director of Crisis, Outreach and Specialized Services, Lynn Wardell says the mounting pressures of caregivers to provide at home care for their family members is partly to blame on a shift in medical care.
"the government wants the elderly to remain at home with supports in place, but the supports aren't necessarily enough to support people to stay in their homes...the family members who are struggling to care for them need respite supports."
The MHCC report revealed 16.5% of Canadians age 15 and over, stated they had experienced high level of stress while caring for a family member suffering a long-term illness. Wardell said caregivers can often experience emotional, physical and financial toll as a result of caring for family members.
"Not enough supports available as we move towards an aging population where there's more people becoming ill and having these different illnesses and living longer so I think it's just an increase in a number of people who are at home being taken care of by family caregivers."
Wardell says in Oxford County they can feel the impact, "I think what we notice through the crisis line that we will get calls from family members who are struggling to support their family member who may be struggling with a mental illness, they may have a physical illness, they may require end of life care..."
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