Lester

Lester started his journey as a care provider almost 20 years ago, when he left his home in the Philippines to find opportunities to care for seniors.   

Over the next 12 years, Lester helped seniors with Dementia, Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), and other aging related issues live in their homes with safe and appropriate care in Israel. During this time, Lester showed great skill and compassion, growing close and developing unforgettable bonds with his clients and their families.  

 What began as a short visit home in 2020 became a life-changing turn for Lester when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Unable to leave the Philippines, he spent the next three years rooted in family life—working the farm and supporting his mother in caring for his father after his Dementia diagnosis. 

After many years of separation from his fiancé, Gretchen, a fellow care provider, Lester decided to come to Canada to continue his career as a home care provider in 2023. 

Despite the care provider workforce shortage across Canada and the growing evidence that seniors want to age at home, Lester has been unable to secure a work permit to continue the work that he wants to do and has been doing for over a decade. 

As part of its National Caregiving Strategy, the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence calls on the federal government to improve the pathways for migrant care providers like Lester gain permanent residency and ensure job protections when they are here. Current federal programs that encourage care providers to come from abroad fall short on providing them with adequate job protections and leave many in limbo for several years as they wait for permanent residency. Lester’s fiancé, Gretchen, for example, has been waiting for over nine years. 

When reflecting on his work, Lester shares “I have learned a lot from the people I have cared for. Not only have I developed new skills to help me be better at my job, but also many lessons you cannot learn in a textbook, like the importance of family and finding joy in life, even during difficult times.”