What is a family caregiver?
You might be one without even knowing
There are more than 8 million family caregivers in Canada. They provide 80% of care and support for people with a physical, cognitive or mental disorder. Caregivers come from all kinds of backgrounds and all age groups.
By mental illness caregiver, we mean any parent, sibling, partner, child, grandparent, grandchild or even friend or colleague of someone facing the impacts of mental disorder.
The term ‘’caregiver’’ is mostly used to describe a relative or a friend who provides care and support to a person with a physical disorder. However, in mental health, the caregiver’s role focuses mostly on support, because people living with mental health issues do not need to be managed. They need to be accompanied without judgement in their journey.
Supporting a person with a mental illness can be difficult. There are often feelings like the world is falling apart and that the person is not the one we used to know. However, even if someone is experiencing mental health issues, they are indeed the same person you used to know.
Our clients
Our services are available to caregivers of a person with a mental illness. To access our services, caregivers must be aged 14 or older (or have parental consent), no matter the age of the person with a mental illness. Caregivers must live in the Laurentides. If they do not live in the Laurentides, there are other organizations with similar missions in their region.
USEFUL LINKS
As a caregiver, it is essential that you think of yourself first. What are you willing to do and what could you do to make it easier? Before caring for someone, take care of yourself.
REMEMBER THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN ON A PLANE BEFORE A FLIGHT: TAKE THE TIME TO PUT ON YOUR OWN OXYGEN MASK BEFORE HELPING SOMEONE ELSE PUT ON THEIRS.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
SOME STATISTICS ON MENTAL ILLNESS CAREGIVERS:
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