Caregiving and planning for end-of-life care

Informal caregiving

Planning for end of life and advanced age

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Informal caregiving is common across countries

Relationship with care receiver Proportion providing care for at least 10 hours a week (2014)

of older Canadians provided care at least once a week to a person living with an age-related problem (CMWF average 20%).

19%

Family member

Someone else (not family member)

Both

76%

18%

5%

Family member

Someone else(not family member)

Both

SwedenFranceNorway

SwitzerlandNetherlands

CMWF AVERAGEUnited Kingdom

GermanyCANADA

New ZealandAustralia

United States

40%

47%*

2

Informal caregivers in Canada don’t always get the support they need

Proportion of caregivers who needed help to provide care in the past year

but did not receive it

23%

Wait times were too long

Cost was too expensive

Did not know where to go

Services were not available in the area

14%

16%

27%

28%Services were not available in the area

Did not know where to go

Cost was too expensive

Waiting times were too long

Reasons for not receiving the help needed to provide care

3

experienced distress, anger or depression while providing care or assistance for a family member or friend.

34%

Distress is common among Canadian caregivers

Proportion of caregivers who experienced distress, anger or depression,

by hours of care provision

SourceCanadian Institute for Health Information. Supporting Informal Caregivers—The Heart of Home Care. Ottawa, ON: CIHI; 2010.

Some factors most commonly associated with caregiver distress:

• Caring for someone with aggressive behaviours

• Caring for someone with cognition problems (e.g., dementia)

• Caring for someone for many hours a week

<10 hours 10 hours or more

27%

43%

4

End-of-life care planning is common in Canada

Had discussions with someone

Had a written plan about their end-of-life wishes

Had a written document naming a substitute decision-maker

Proportion of older Canadians who

In 2014, older Canadians were more likely than older people in other countries to have planned for their end-of-life wishes.

5

End-of-life care plans are more common with advanced age

How does Canada compare (2014)? Proportions by age

of older Canadians had a written plan about their end-of-life wishes.39%

Norway

France

Sweden

Netherlands

United Kingdom

New Zealand

CMWF AVERAGE

Switzerland

Australia

CANADA

United States

Germany

22%

39%*

55–64 65–74 75+

32%

43%

49%

6

How do the provinces compare?

B.C. Alta. Sask. Man. Ont. Que. N.B. N.S. P.E.I. N.L. Can. CMWF Avg.

Had a discussion with someone 61% 62% 57% 60% 64% 57% 55% 56% 55% 47% 61% 44%

Named a substitute decision-maker 46% 53% 44% 50% 60% 52% 47% 43% 42% 32% 53% 31%

Had a written document about end-of-life wishes 36% 43% 29% 35% 44% 40% 24% 29% 26% 18% 39% 22%

End-of-life care planning in most provinces exceeded the international average.

Compared with the CMWF average

Above average Same as average Below average

7

About half of Canadians are planning for future care needs

Proportion who considered supportive living, residential care or home care in future planning

Proportion who said they will likely require supportive living or long-term

care in their lifetime

B.C. Alta. Sask. Man. Ont. Que. N.B. N.S. P.E.I. N.L. Can.

47% 48% 46% 45%48% 47%

42%45%

32%36%

47%

Compared with the Canadian average

Above average Same as average Below average

No significant variation by province

53%

8

Medication restrictions

Feeding restrictions

Other end-of-life care restrictions

Living will

Do not hospitalize order

Do not resuscitate order

4%

4%

5%

13%

18%

66%

Proportion of Canadian long-term care residents who had

Advanced directives are common in long-term care

SourceContinuing Care Reporting System, 2011, Canadian Institute for Health Information.

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