Nearly eight million Canadians ages 15 and older are caregivers for a family member or friend. Like many other caregivers of any age, they provide this support out of love, compassion, and a sense of responsibility.
However, their contributions, experiences and needs are often overlooked in conversations about caregiving in this country. Some refer to them as the “hidden army of family caregiving.” Here, we take a closer look at who they are, the invaluable support they provide, and how it is affecting their young lives.
Who Are Young Caregivers in Canada?
In Canada, about 1.9 million people — or 27 percent of the population — ages 15 to 29 are caregivers. As such, many are still in high school when they take on their caregiving role.
Young people ages 15 to 24 are just as likely to be caregivers as those ages 25 to 29, reports Statistics Canada. As with older age groups, women are more likely to be young caregivers (31 percent) than men (24 percent).
A third of young caregivers in Canada dedicate two to four hours each week to caring for a family member or friend. However, in most cases, younger carers are looking after a grandparent.
Contributions of Young Caregivers
Canada’s population continues to age rapidly. The number of seniors aged 65 and older is growing six times faster than the number of people aged 14 and younger. While in Alberta, people aged 65 and older do not yet outnumber those aged 15 and younger, it is projected that this will occur by 2031.
With this in mind, it’s likely that more younger people will be thrust into the demanding role of caring for their parents or grandparents. While many of their duties might not be complicated, they are nonetheless vital to the health and quality of life of their care recipients.
Transportation and housework are the two most common duties of young caregivers. Sixty-six percent report that they provide transportation, including to shopping or appointments, or do housework such as cleaning and preparing meals.
Other duties might include scheduling appointments, helping to manage their loved one’s finances, or assisting with medical treatments.
However, duties are sometimes divided along gender lines. Young female caregivers are more likely to do personal care, housework, and make appointments, reports Statistics Canada. While young male caregivers do outdoor work and home maintenance.
In most cases, young carers provide these kinds of support to their loved ones because of age-related needs, such as disability or frailty. However, sometimes they are also helping loved ones who have a chronic disease, such as dementia, cancer, a cardiovascular ailment, or an accident-related injury.
Sacrifices Young Caregivers Make
Like their older counterparts, younger caregivers also make many sacrifices to fulfil their caregiving roles. These sacrifices include:
- Losing part of their childhood or young adulthood
- Sleep
- Time to complete academic homework and study
- Postponing or giving up their education
- Participating in the workforce and career planning
- Delaying leaving home
- Delaying getting married or having children.
Consequences of Being a Young Caregiver
Because of their caregiving role, many of these young caregivers also experience consequences that impact their present-day life as well as their future. Research shows that compared to their peers in the same age group, they are more likely to:
- Be late often or truant from school
- Have problems concentrating
- Have higher stress levels
- Be prone to anxiety, worry and depression
- Experience loneliness or isolation
- Be less physically active
- Suffer from low self-esteem
- Be unable to relate to their peers
- Have higher unemployment levels
- Rely on government support.
More Help for Young Caregivers
Younger caregivers in Canada are providing an essential and valuable service to their family or friends, but also to society as a whole. But it’s clear to see that they are increasingly at risk for health and financial consequences, as well as a lower quality of life.
Many young caregivers also report being secretive about their caregiving role, fearing rejection and ostracization from their peers. This adds to the stress, anxiety and isolation they experience.
What should we be doing to give them more support and ease their burden?
Tips for Young Caregivers
- Speak out about your role to friends, teachers, coaches, guidance counsellors and principals. Do not feel the need to hide it. You never know where that extra support you need might come from when you most need it.
- Be honest with your care recipient about any difficulties you are experiencing.
- Ask other family members or friends to help out as much as possible.
- Schedule me time and commit to it, barring any emergency. It is essential for relaxation and restoration.
- Create a schedule. While caregiving is notoriously unpredictable, it helps to schedule the activities or duties that can be anticipated. Time management will go a long way to reducing stress and burnout.
- Use caregiver apps to help you manage tasks such as tracking medications, making appointments, and looking after finances.
- Apply for the caregiver credit.
- Apply for educational grants or scholarships.
- Look for online job opportunities that offer flexibility so you can do the tasks around your caregiving duties.
- Sign up for online courses or degree programs so you can continue to pursue your academic career with greater flexibility.
Tips for Parents and Grandparents
Young Caregivers Association, an internationally recognized organization dedicated to helping young caregivers and their families based in Ontario, offers the following guidance:
- Remember that your young caregiver is a child or young adult first and a carer second. They need time to develop physically, emotionally and mentally.
- Give them the time they need to be with their friends or peers.
- Recognize and appreciate their contribution.
- Let them do age-appropriate tasks. Seek assistance from community organizations or professional caregivers for other tasks.
- Try to maintain your independence as much as possible.
- Keep the lines of communication open. Make sure they know they can share their feelings and thoughts.
Tips for Society
- All school staff should be aware of and acknowledge that some of their students are young caregivers. They should seek to create programs or initiatives that help to support them.
- Teachers could provide homework options for young caregivers when necessary.
- Ask a young caregiver how you can assist them to help reduce their tardiness or truancy. Penalizing them does not help them or their care recipient.
- Encourage young caregivers in school to start a support group, which is one of the most powerful ways for carers to find solutions, reduce stress, and feel less isolated.
- School staff can become advocates for young caregivers.
- Colleges and universities also need to become more aware of the experience and needs of young caregivers and create programs to assist them.
- College and university professors can extend deadlines for submitting essays or projects for young caregivers if needed.
- Health professionals should acknowledge that young caregivers take on many of the same responsibilities as their older counterparts. Do not dismiss their input or questions.
Many people are intimidated by health organizations. For younger people, that intimidation can be even higher.
It’s essential for medical staff to create a welcoming atmosphere when collaborating with young caregivers. It helps them to be more effective in their caregiving role, which improves health outcomes for their care recipients.
- Health professionals should ask young carers how they assist their loved one and about any challenges they experience while providing care. This helps to determine areas of competency and situations where they might need more assistance.
- Health professionals should also take extra care to ensure that young caregivers understand specific medical language and treatments. Listen patiently to their questions and, in fact, encourage them to ask questions.
- Health organizations can provide access to resources — including digital — that help young caregivers to better navigate the health care system as well as non-medical organizations and charities in the community that can make their role easier.
