Inclusion and Underserved Communities

As we work to strengthen support systems for caregivers and care providers, we endeavour to identify and support equity-deserving groups that are marginalized or constrained by existing structures and practices.
 
We seek to build and nurture new networks and better understand the needs of caregivers and care providers from coast to coast to coast.

 With our roots in disability community, we embrace the principle of “nothing about us without us.” We value and invest in lived experience and co-design approaches.

Caregivers Care Providers

For Caregivers

Mapping caregiver needs and supports in Nunavut

To help address the knowledge gap regarding the needs of caregivers and recipients of care in Nunavut, CCCE supported Nunavummi Disabilities Makinnasuaqtiit Society (NDMS) to conduct a caregiver needs mapping study across all 25 communities, the first study of its kind in the Territory.

Over 500 residents were interviewed between 2021 and 2024. NDMS has published a report with their findings, revealing important information on how Nunavummi provide and receive care.

Learn more

About NDMS 

NDMS is the only cross-disability organization in Nunavut, supporting people across their lifetime, from infants to Elders.

NDMS was developed out of grassroots, community-based action. In 1999, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. provided office space and staffing to a small group seeking to bring awareness of and justice for people living with disabilities in Nunavut. In 2005, NDMS was incorporated as a society and became the representative organization for people living with disabilities in Nunavut. 

The mission of NDMS is to help all Nunavummi with disabilities achieve independence, self-determination and full citizenship.

Increasing support for Francophone caregivers outside of Quebec

There is a growing need for caregiving resources and supports in francophone communities across the country. CCCE partnered with L’Appui des proches aidants (an organization that supports caregivers in Quebec) for a three-year initiative to help address this gap.

During phase one, L’Appui des proches aidants conducted a mapping review of provincial, territorial and pan-Canadian organizations serving Francophone caregivers as well as a needs assessment study with organizations across Canada. A video and infographic have been prepared to review their findings of phase 1.

Explore their findings below:

View Infographic

Watch Video

About L’Appui des proches aidants 

Since 2009, the mission of l’Appui pour les proches aidants has been to promote the well-being and quality of life of caregivers. The organization offers several services, including: 

The Caregiver Support Helpline, a consultation, information and referral service, 7 days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. by phone at +1 855 852-7784 and email at [email protected].
The Resource Directory
Online training programs for caregivers

L’Appui pour les proches aidants supports organizations across the province of Québec that help caregivers and advocate for better experiences.

A young white man with Down syndrome and a young Black man with a beard smiling with their arms around each other.

National Indigenous Caregiving Collective

To better support Indigenous caregivers across the country, we are investing in the creation of a national Indigenous Caregiving Collective (ICC), led by Dr. Grant Bruno, a caregiver and registered member of Nipisihkopahk (Samson Cree Nation), and an assistant professor in pediatrics at the University of Alberta. The ICC will support Indigenous caregivers locally and nationally through research, support services, and advocacy.

The goals of the three-year initiative include:

Bringing together the institutional support and research-to-practice learnings of the University of Alberta’s Women and Children Health Research Institute and the clinical services and community engagement of the Nipisihkopahk Pediatric Clinic and Maskwacîs Parents Place within the four nations of Maskwacîs.
Building an Indigenous network of researchers and supports for Indigenous caregivers and a pan-Canadian network of Indigenous Elders, organizations, health practitioners, and researchers to share knowledge, scale practices, identify research priorities, and advocate for better caregiving policy.

The ICC is the first Indigenous-focused caregiving initiative of its kind in Canada. Through the initiative, the collective will identify barriers to culturally appropriate support for care recipients and their caregivers. The ICC will also establish a national advisory circle to guide the work ahead.

For Care Providers

Supporting health care providers in Indigenous communities in Alberta

CCCE is supporting researchers at the University of Alberta to learn about current barriers and opportunities for supporting Indigenous family caregivers.

The research team interviewed caregivers, health and community care providers and leaders in the Samson Cree Nation and Enoch Communities in Alberta to develop an understanding of the current barriers to supporting Indigenous caregivers.

Research Highlights: 

Challenges faced by Indigenous caregivers include difficulty navigating systems, delayed assessment and treatment, disconnected health records, and racism.
Caregivers indicated that they felt that their needs and well-being are not prioritized in current policy or programs and experienced challenges working with the many levels of government to access programs and services in the community.
Social determinants of health such as poverty, housing, safe water, and lack of trust in the system make caregiving more difficult for caregivers.

Recommendations: 

Meaningful holistic system change is needed to support Indigenous caregivers.
Caregivers need to be recognized for their role and provided with culturally safe care, improvements in home care support and respite, enhanced navigation support and timely access to services.
Care providers require a comprehensive grounding in cultural awareness, improved orientation, and support for their health and wellbeing.