Survey finds most Canadian caregivers delay their own care and face financial, mental health impacts
Only 15 percent of Canadian family caregivers say the health-care system meets their needs all the time, according to a new national survey by Maple, highlighting a widening gap that families are left to bridge—often at significant personal and economic cost.
The survey of 1,525 caregivers, conducted among members of the Angus Reid Forum, reveals that the majority are delaying their own care, experiencing mental health impacts, and facing workplace disruptions as they step in to fill the cracks in Canada’s health-care infrastructure.
Caregiving has become a silent economic engine, with more than 7.8 million Canadians now providing unpaid care each week—a collective 5.7 billion hours annually, valued at over $97bn, as reported by the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence.
Behind these numbers are individuals missing work, postponing their own appointments, and absorbing the costs of a system under strain.
According to Maple, 60 percent of caregivers delay their own care to prioritize dependents, while 63 percent say their caregiving responsibilities have negatively affected their mental health.
The impact extends to the workplace: 67 percent of those in the sandwich generation—caring for both children and aging relatives—are concerned about career progression, and two-thirds have had to adjust their work schedules or reduce responsibilities due to caregiving.
Access to care for children is a particular pressure point.
Only 59 percent of parents feel confident they can get timely care for their children, and 88 percent of caregivers with children believe emergency rooms are being used for issues that could be managed virtually.
Wait times and lack of access to specialists are major sources of stress, with 70 percent of caregivers wanting reduced wait times and 67 percent seeking improved access to specialists such as paediatricians.
The financial and professional toll is clear.
Fifty percent of caregivers identify balancing work and caregiving as a top economic stressor.
Most have used vacation time or sick days to cover caregiving duties, and 27 percent report lost wages due to time spent attending appointments.
Caregivers provide an average of 30 hours of unpaid care weekly, with many spending more than $1,000 per month out of pocket to support loved ones.
Technology-enabled care is widely viewed as a potential relief.
Eighty-seven percent of caregivers say that tech-enabled care would reduce their stress and save time, with 78 percent citing better coordination of care as a key benefit.
As Canada faces a projected shortage of 22,000 doctors by 2033, and only 38 percent of respondents report being able to receive a same-day or next-day appointment for urgent care, digital solutions are seen as increasingly essential.
The survey, conducted from September 23 to 29, included a representative sample of Canadian caregivers and was carried out in both English and French.
