B5

By Bonnie Schroeder

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Did you know that there are nearly three million caregivers in Canada today?

You or someone you know might be a caregiver without even realizing it. A caregiver is someone who, on an ongoing basis, cares for a family member or friend requiring medical or home care assistance. The person who requires the care might be a husband, wife, brother, sister, parent, child, or long-time friend. Statistics show that most caregivers are women, often over the age of 45, but caregivers can come from all walks of life. For example, there is a new trend toward youth who are caregivers.

But wherever you live and whatever your age, being a caregiver isn't easy.

Time is of the essence for many caregivers — in most cases, they're caught between work, family life, and caring for a family member. Information and resources can sometimes be hard to find or access, and often require a fair amount of time and research to track down.

To make finding those resources and support easier, VON Canada (Victorian Order of Nurses) has launched a new tool for Canada's nearly three million caregivers: "Caregiver Connect … from Caring to Sharing/De l'entraide au partage … aidants en réseau." Located at www.caregiver-connect.ca, it is a bilingual web portal that will help caregivers to care for themselves, to provide better quality care to their family members and/or friends, and to connect and share with other caregivers through a virtual discussion forum.

When a caregiver visits www.caregiver-connect.ca, he or she can check out the latest information related to a specific health condition, click on links to Government of Canada programs, find information on working and caregiving, legal and financial assistance and home care programs, and connect with fellow caregivers and experts in the virtual meeting place of the portal's caregiver communities.

"VON Canada supports caregivers and provides care for families and individuals from Newfoundland to British Columbia — we know first hand the questions and challenges that caregivers encounter," said Dr. Judith Shamian, President and CEO of VON Canada. "We know that caregiving can be isolating — and one of the goals of Caregiver Connect is to enhance autonomy, independence, and quality of life for caregivers and those for whom they provide care.