The Care Project: The Compassionate Care Benefit |
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Posted on March 07 2010 under Community
By Jeanette Eby The Care Project explores the stories of people and organizations in Hamilton who help show us what caring looks like in our community, and how we can better support and celebrate the care that happens. Now, Monkey Biz will explore “care” when it comes to government policy. One of the few federal/provincial policies around caregiving is called the Compassionate Care Benefit (CCB). The CCB was implemented in 2003 by the federal government as short-term support for caregivers who needed to take time off work to care for a family member or friend who needed the support and were nearing death. Individuals who qualify for the CCB must also qualify for Employment Insurance. If applicants are successful, they receive 55 per cent of their income for six weeks, which can be used in small chunks or consecutive weeks. The benefit can be split among caregivers. There has been a lot of criticism aimed at the limitations of the CCB by both formal and informal caregivers, and there has also been a slow uptake and lack of public awareness about the benefit. A group of Canadian researchers and caregiving advocates are in the process of evaluating the CCB, and the lead researcher on the project, Dr. Allison Williams, works here in Hamilton at McMaster University. Williams works in the Department of Geography and shared with Monkey Biz her insights on the CCB and why this work is important to her. The research is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Health Canada and the Canadian Hospice Pailliative Care Organization. The research team involves the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), the Canadian Caregiver Coalition and the Canadian Cancer Society. The team targets their research around actual users of the benefit. The first stage of the research involved telephone interviews with caregivers. One of the main critiques from the caregivers was that the initial CCB had a very limited definition of “family”. Originally, the caregiver had to be a son/daughter/spouse or commonlaw partner. One year after the launch of the CCB, the government opened up the definition due to the feedback of the caregivers. Now, the patient defines who their caregiver is. Despite this positive advancement, caregivers have identified some other challenges. The CCB only provides payment for six weeks, which users say is not enough time. Users also say that the the application process takes a long time and there is a lack of outreach to caregivers about how to apply. Many caregivers are already overwhelmed with the everyday tasks of caring and often do not have the time or energy to seek out and apply for the CCB. Also, if the individual in need of care dies while the application is in process, the benefit cannot be used. Williams says that the fact that the CCB is under Employment Insurance creates many of the problems. The government seems to have “slotted in” a limited framework to support palliative caregivers, rather than create a new framework accessible to more individuals. Williams’ suggests that the benefit should be placed under the Ministry of Health rather than Employment Insurance, to lengthen and broaden what the benefit covers. Her research shows that there are many unemployed and part-time caregivers who don’t qualify for the benefit, and most are women. Williams and her fellow researchers are looking at front-line workers, caregivers, and Human Resources departments and employers, to see how they are managing the program. Right now, the research team is in the process of analyzing the data. The team has also come up with recommendations regarding public education around the benefit, lengthening the benefit and simplifying the application process. So far, the research has generated valuable feedback, says Williams. Dr. Williams understands lasting policy change can take a long time, and she hopes the research recommendations will be looked at seriously by policy makers. She hopes that, over time, the CCB can be comparable to a maternity leave benefit, and can be extended to all caregivers, not just full-time workers who need to care for someone who is dying. “A lot of people are stuck in a rough place,” said Williams. "Palliative care is especially difficult because caregivers cannot know when it will end. You just have to give what is needed until the time comes.” There is a lot of work to be done on all fronts. “If anyone is interested in the human condition, they should be interested in caregiving. Period. We celebrate parenting and child care, but we don’t celebrate the caregiving of the dying, the chronically ill, the elderly, the disabled. It takes someone out of the ordinary to care and celebrate that. This is what motivates me.” For more information, check out www.coag.uvic.ca/eolcare/evaluation_compassionate_care.htm |
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