Caregiver-Centered

Care

Foundational Course Advanced education Covid-19 Education

Family Caregivers play a critical role in our healthcare system. We all need to identify, engage, and support family caregivers, but it is not always easy to understand how.

Caring for Carers is a collaboration between Alberta Health Services and the University of Alberta, intended to support family caregivers by educating the health workforce on how to identify, engage, and support family caregivers.

In 2014 a multidisciplinary group of over 400 stakeholders came together to understand the gap between what family caregivers needed from healthcare providers and the education provided to healthcare providers.

We have heard their voices partnering with 60 stakeholders, including family caregivers, to develop the education modalities and resources that will serve to transform the healthcare system. The intent to incorporate these into orientation of healthcare staff and in the education of future trainees. We are quite ambitious, we are setting the stage for all healthcare providers to recognize each and everyone has a role to play in caring.

As a society, we believe in family caregiving.

It comes from a place of love, duty, and reciprocity.
It is fulfilling and rewarding.

Family Caregiver (carer, care-partner) A Family Caregiver is any person ( family, friend, neighbour, or chosen family) who takes on a generally unpaid caring role and provides emotional, physical, or practical support in response to physical and/or mental illnesses, disabilities, or age-related needs.

Example: a spouse caring for their partner with dementia is a family caregiver.

Family Caregivers make up:

1 in

4

Canadians

90 %

of total care to community-dwelling Canadians

$

97.1 B

Unpaid Labour Per Year

Family caregivers are the shadow workforce of our society, and the backbone of our healthcare system.

We want family caregivers to feel supported by healthcare providers.

Caregiver-Centered Care

Caregiver-centered care is person-centered care for family caregivers. This approach respects and meaningfully involves the care receiver’s family caregiver in the planning and delivery of supportive services. It also recognizes and addresses caregiver needs and preferences and integrates family caregivers as partners in care.

Competency Framework

The Caregiver-Centered Care Competency Framework consists of 6 Domains that are the foundational competencies for engaging with family caregivers in all settings. Competencies are the first step in supporting family caregivers in their vital roles.

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Education

Level 1

Foundational

Take the Foundational course to learn about Caregiver-Centered Care.

Take the Course

Level 2

Advanced

Designed for healthcare providers who have a responsibility for supporting family caregivers.

Take the course

Level 3

Champions

Designed for Champions who will lead Caregiver-Centered Care initiatives in their organization.

take the course

pandemic education

COVID-19

This course outlines how to best support family caregivers during times of changing care restrictions.

Take the Course

Interested in Certification?

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Caregiver-Centered Care is a Program of Applied Research & Innovation in Health Services Delivery in Family Caregiving. Department of Family Medicine.