In 2015 the CFNU partnered with the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) to support their National Survey on Balancing Work, Family and Caregiving.
Combining work, family and caregiving is a resource-intensive responsibility that can lead to physical and mental health problems, negative work-related outcomes, economic impacts, and social and family life consequences. Unfortunately, we currently know little about how to best support employees who are also engaged in caring for an elderly relative. Particularly problematic is the absence of information on the specific challenges facing employees who balance work and caring for a family member with dementia. The objective of the National Survey on Balancing Work, Family and Caregiving is to increase awareness at both the public policy and employer level of the challenges faced by those seeking to combine work, caregiving and perhaps childcare and make the business case for change.
The study also seeks to identify differences in caregiving challenges faced by employed caregivers caring for relatives with various forms of dementia versus those caring for relatives with chronic non-dementia conditions. Raising awareness of these challenges will shine a light on issues that must be addressed if Canadian organizations are to remain competitive and caregivers are to remain healthy.
The CFNU asks any members who are engaged with caring for an elderly relative to please complete the National Survey on Balancing Work, Family and Caregiving.