The percentage of long-stay home care patients whose unpaid caregivers experienced distress in a one-year period (a risk-adjusted percentage).
A caregiver is defined as a person who takes on an unpaid caring role for someone who needs help because of a physical or cognitive condition, an injury, or a chronic life-limiting illness. This caregiver can be a spouse, child/child-in-law, other relative or friend, or neighbour who lives or does not live with the patient.
Unpaid caregivers play a vital role in our health systems by supporting people with health challenges to stay at home or in the community, and helping to ensure the sustainability of health services for the future.
Caregivers who are distressed are defined as primary caregivers who express feelings of distress, anger or depression and/or any caregiver who is unable to continue in their caring activities.
This indicator defines long-stay patients as those who have already been receiving home care for at least 60 days.
Identification is based on a clinical assessment conducted by a trained health professional. When a patient has more than one home care assessment within a given year, the most recent assessment will be included in the analysis.
This measure may indicate whether individuals receiving home care and their caregivers have access to the sufficient and appropriate level of services and supports. It may also help to identify where additional resources are needed to assist caregivers in order to help prevent burnout and to allow the people they are caring for to stay at home as long as possible. Examples include providing access to more hours of formal home care and different types of services (e.g., meals, housework, respite services) and help navigating the system.
A lower percentage is better.
