Family caregivers play an important role in the health system. They give people of all ages who need care the choice to remain in their community homes, and provide essential care to residents in group homes, supportive living, long-term care and palliative care.

One in four Canadians is a family caregiver and one in seven is a double-duty caregiver: a healthcare provider who delivers care at work and at home.

To put the impact of Alberta’s caregivers into perspective, they contribute 647 million hours of unpaid care every year. This saves our healthcare system $12 billion a year.

Joining me to talk about the important work of caregivers are:

• Dr. Jean Triscott, Division Director, Care of the Elderly, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta.
• Dr. Sharon Anderson, research coordinator, Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, and caregiver to an AHS patient.
• Laurie Caforio, caregiver for an AHS patient.

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