Developing New Strategies to Support Future Caregivers of Older Canadians with Disabilities: Projections of Need and their Policy Implications

Abstract

Dans cet article, grâce à des projections, nous évaluons la croissance annuelle au Canada, de 2001 à 2031, du soutien structuré et bénévole dont auront besoin les personnes âgées vivant avec des incapacités. Nous y analysons également les implications, sur le plan des politiques publiques, du besoin croissant d'aidants naturels. Basées sur le modèle de microsimulation LifePaths, de Statistique Canada, ces projections intègrent les taux d'incapacité et la disponibilité potentielle d'aidants naturels à l'intérieur des familles. Nous en concluons que continuer à trop compter sur les familles pour répondre aux besoins des personnes âgées ne constitue pas une approche durable. Enfin, nous proposons la mise en place de politiques publiques pour offrir du soutien financier et du répit aux aidants naturels, et nous évaluons la faisabilité économique de ces politiques. This paper projects annual growth rates between 2001 and 2031 in the need for informal and formal support among elderly Canadians with disabilities. The paper also discusses the policy implications of the increasing demand for informal caregivers. Using Statistics Canada's LifePaths microsimulation model, these projections incorporate disability rates and the potential availability of family caregivers. The authors conclude that

Understanding the value of family caregivers

“…Seniors do occupy hospital beds when there are no appropriate home-based and community-based services and this increases costs and places a burden on the system (CHSRF, 2011 b services. Keefe et al (2007) and Carriere et al (2008) estimate that it will be another ten years before the pressures of the old baby boomers will be felt. Home care needs to develop and deliver cost effective home-based and community-based care in order to meet the predicted pressure which will be placed on it in the near future (CIHI, 2007).…”

“…Various methods have been described in literature to determine a value for family care giving (AARP, 2011;Access Economics, 2005, 2011Hollander, Liu, Chappell, 2009;Jakobsen et al , 2011 ;Van Den Berg, Ferrer-I-Carbonell, 2007 Therefore the demand for family (informal) caregivers will increase. Presently it is the baby boomers ' parents that are the older segment of the population (Keefe, Legare & Carriere, 2007) however it is estimated that by 2021 the baby boomers will be in that older segment (Keefe, et a. , 2007). The family structure (e.g.…”

“…has been changing with the baby boomers so that the supply of informal (family) caregivers is decreasing (Keefe, et al, 2007).…”

“…But the question becomes: who will be the informal (family) caregivers for the baby boomers? In approximately ten years the baby boomers will be entering the older age category (75+ years) which has the greater potential for needing family (informal) help to assist them with their daily activities (Keefe et al, 2007). There is agreement (Keefe et al, 2007, Carriere et al , 2008 and Access Economics, 201 0) that there will be less availability of informal caregivers because baby boomers have had no children or fewer children than the generation preceding them, young people have greater mobility and leave for job opportunities, and women continue to enter the work force which decreases their availability for caring for others.…”

“…This paper draws on three areas, the analysis of informal caregivers (CIHI, 2010: Access Economics, 2010), methods ofvaluing family caregivers (Jakobsen et al, 2011, Access Economics, 201 0) and a preliminary discussion of supply and demand of family caregivers (Keefe et al, 2007;Carriere, Keefe, Legare, Lin, Rowe, Martel, & Rajbhandary, 2008). The contribution of family caregivers is essential; we need to have a better understanding of how to support the caregiver so they can continue to care now and in the future.…”