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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Ottawa Public Health
Ottawa Public Health raises awareness for caregivers

Ottawa – This morning at the Lincoln Fields Shopping Centre, the City of Ottawa proclaimed June 28, 2011 as Caregiver Awareness Day. The proclamation was presented to a dozen agencies providing services to seniors and caregivers, to emphasize the importance of helping those caring for a senior.

“Close to 120,000 of our residents are seniors and that number is expected to more than double in the next 20 years,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “Increasing support for our seniors and those taking care of them is a pressing need in our community.”

“Research shows us that family and friends provide the vast majority of the at-home health care seniors receive,” said Dr. Atul Kapur, Vice-Chair of the Ottawa Board of Health. “As a result, it is especially important to ensure that caregivers receive the resources and services they need.”

“Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is here to support caregivers,” said Dr. Isra Levy, Medical Officer of Health “Marketplaces such as these are a part of our Healthy Aging Strategy and provide invaluable opportunity for residents to get the information they need to help their loved ones.”

A few tips for caregivers (from the Community Resource Guide for Caregivers of Seniors):

Talk to other informal caregivers as to the expectation of both caregiver and care receiver – what they like or dislike about caregiving.
Talk to members of your own family. They deserve to talk about their feelings and how your care of the older adult will affect them.
Have a list of the older adult’s medications on hand, and in case of an emergency, take the medication bottles with you to the hospital.
Help the older adult remain independent by letting them do as much as they can for themselves.
Become familiar with the community help available.

During Seniors’ Month, OPH has been very active in the community. In addition to today’s Caregiver Awareness Marketplace, OPH participated in OC Transpo’s Transportation Choices for Seniors in an Age-Friendly Ottawa event and held heat awareness displays in five shopping centres.

For more information on caring for a senior, please visit ottawa.ca/health or call 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). You can also connect with OPH on Facebook and Twitter (@ottawahealth).