Canada's caregiving crisis is growing by the day and families are carrying the weight

It's no secret that Canada's healthcare system is a little bit overwhelmed.

One in six Canadians doesn't have a family doctor, and less than half are able to see a primary care provider on the same or next day. Emergency rooms, which are also short-staffed, are getting clogged up with both overflow and serious conditions that could have been identified and treated earlier.

And the people who are most disproportionately affected by these gaps are racialized and lower-income adults — the latter of which largely includes older Canadians.

A real danger

When people aren't able to receive hospital rooms and are treated out in the open, it's called "Hallway Healthcare", and it's not a future risk — it's happening right now.

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While Canada has spent the last few generations planning schools and communities for baby boomers, we don't yet have a healthcare system that can keep up with capacity. And a shortage of nurses and doctors can turn delays into real dangers.

A firsthand account

The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) President Anthony Quinn has seen these dangers firsthand. In a LinkedIn post, he describes what he saw in a hospital while visiting his mom.

"There’s nothing more personal and maybe nothing more hurtful to a son than coming back to the ER and seeing his elderly mother sitting in a urine-soaked bed, hunched over with a tray of food plopped on her stomach, no beverage to wash it down, under fluorescent lights and the chaos of stretchers coming and going beside her," he writes.

"Anyone who hasn’t experienced it would be just as hurt as I am by the loss of dignity in caring for patients in hallways."

And in the comments are other Canadians who have experienced or witnessed similar occurrences.

How CARP can help

CARP is taking action to change that. The non-profit group aims to enhance the quality of life for older adults by influencing public policy to combat ageism.

With membership options starting at $19.95 for one year for you and your spouse, CARP delivers exclusive benefits. It offers a wide range of products and services, retirement planning resources, and updates on relevant topics.

Short-term actions for long-term results

Yes, CARP membership is great for older adults, but it's also a tangible way for them to enact societal change. The membership fees strengthen CARP's ability to influence systems that affect financial security, health, and dignity.

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It's a small action you can take on behalf of yourself and the people you care about today, so that everyone can make use of meaningful outcomes tomorrow. CARP memberships matter in forcing overdue action, because Canadians need a solution now before the crisis worsens.

Learn more via the CARP website now.