Topic: 1

How to Use this Resource

Welcome

So, you are a caregiver. Good for you! You might be brand new and being called someone’s “caregiver” may still sound strange to you. Or you might be well along in the journey. Regardless of where in the trajectory you are, it is important to know that caregiving is a journey. If there is one thing that we know for sure it is that, caregivers, like you, come in all shapes and sizes. Right now in Ontario, approximately 55,000 people are doing what you are doing! They may be a spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling, a friend, a relative. Some caregivers in Ontario are caring for the frail and elderly, some for a newly diagnosed cancer patient, and some of you will be caring for someone who has a life-limiting illness. Regardless of the unique circumstances of each situation, we do know that all caregiving can be incredibly rewarding and it can be incredibly isolating and stressful too. This website is meant to help! Our goal is to assist you in finding the support you need, exactly when you need it.

You are not alone!

This resource has been designed to provide help just in time for family and friends all over Ontario who are primary caregivers. We have gathered information that will help you. Visit the website as many times as you like. Look for the topic that will help you right now. You may never need some of the topics and you may come back and visit the same topic many times.

Instructions

  1. Choose the topic that you are most interested in right now.
  2. When you open the topic, you will always see 3 sub-topics:
  • What You Need to Know which will provide you with the essential information
  • Walk in These Shoes which will provide you with some practical scenarios related to the topic
  • Additional Resources that are relevant to the topic that you can explore now or later.
  1. This resource has been written with you, the caregiver in mind. When you read “you” that means you! When you read “the person” that refers to the person you are caring for.

If you are viewing this webpage on a desktop computer, download all the topics that you are interested in. You can save them to your own computer and view them at any time without having to visit the website again. If you are viewing this webpage on a smaller device, you will have to read the topics right on your device.

 

Acknowledgement: Hospice Palliative Care Ontario wishes to acknowledge the support of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association in the creation of these resources.