APTN News – Care for the caregivers: Whitehorse mother says it’s time Canada compensates family caregivers

Georgette Aisaican’s daughter is her whole world. 

Aisaican, a member of the Cowessess First Nation who’s called Whitehorse home for the past four decades, has a bond with her 24-year-old daughter Selena many mothers and daughters would envy. 

But Selena isn’t your average young person navigating early adulthood. 

Now in her mid-twenties, Selena is developmentally no older than an 18-month-old, but with far fewer physical capabilities. She cannot talk, walk, eat or go to the bathroom on her own. 

Like many family members looking after a loved one with complex needs, much of Aisaican’s time is spent juggling the demands of Selena’s care. 

James Janeiro, director of policy and government relations at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE), a program of the Azrieli Foundation that advocates for Canadian caregivers, said those providing care are shouldering enormous pressure. 

Janeiro said statistics show 22 per cent of caregivers spend $1,000 per month on out-of-pocket, caregiving-related expenses. 

“That’s a lot of money, particularly as we are now in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and potentially even on the verge of a recession,” he said.