CBC News – Caregivers in Canada are ‘caught in a vicious cycle,’ new report finds 

Brenda Lenahan says the birth of her son, Cole, nearly 12 years ago changed her world completely. 

Lenahan, who lives in Tahsis, a village of about 400 people on Vancouver Island’s west coast, says Cole was born with a neurodevelopmental condition and has some health complications. 

But while caregiving has its challenges, Lenahan — who is also the executive director of the B.C. Complex Kids Society — says the problems lie with the caregiving system. 

That system and its challenges are reflected in a new report from the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE), which found that caregivers in the country are at a crisis point, facing immense financial, physical, and emotional strain. 

Liv Mendelsohn, executive director at the CCCE, calls the situation “a perfect storm.” 

“We have three-quarters of unpaid family and friend caregivers saying that they’re in distress, and 20 per cent of caregivers saying they’re not sure if they can go on,” she said.