Atlantic Business Magazine – N.B. Chamber opens up caregiving conversation

Atlantic Canadian businesses are losing productivity and failing to retain people as a result of the pressures extending from people’s commitments outside of the workplace, as working caregivers. It’s a reality affecting more and more of the workforce, advocates say, with the evolving situation tied to a mix of demographic changes, atop new ways we’re living and working.

Christa Haanstra is a caregiver to her father, who has late-stage dementia. She is also founder and managing director of 4CStrategy Group, focused in the healthcare sector, and lead for the Working Caregiver initiative with the national Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE), a program of the Azrieli Foundation. She also took part in the recent webinar held by the Chamber.

Per CCCE research and survey, she noted, it seems a lot of business leaders in Canada just haven’t spoken to caregivers in their organizations and don’t really know what their people might need. She acknowledged it can be a sensitive subject but added it’s possible to prompt discussions.

“What we heard loud and clear in regards to that is when a senior leader, so someone in the c-suite, a CEO, a VP, an executive vp, even a director is talking openly about their caregiving experience, it sets the stage that other people can bring it forward,” she said.