The initial letter to Minister Duclos promised to update him on the progress of this petition, so he has been informed that signatures have exceeded 23 thousand -- almost all Canadian. And since many supporters have taken the time to say why they signed, he has also been sent a file with the 700 comments to date. For his convenience, he also received a representative sampling of these so he can hear from supporters themselves, and they are appended below. Once Minister Duclos hears the urgency of caregiver circumstances, they need to hear back from him about his position on caregiver supports and how government plans to respond -- which will be posted immediately. Since launching the petition, national and provincial organizations advocating for seniors and caregivers have been contacted. Thanks to their support in sharing and signing this petition with their members, and to CHANGE.ORG's ongoing support, the number of signatures is expected to continue growing. Let's dip into the well of 16 million care givers and receivers, and do so with buckets rather than teaspoons! Salvatore (Sal) Amenta, PhD SAMPLE COMMENTS: 1. Have been a single caregiver for elderly, terminally ill and young family members including one child requiring reconstructive cardiac surgery. Zero supports. Still grieving and traumatized. So burned out from us all living well below poverty line. As a matter of urgency Canada needs free parking at ALL care facilities, be they child day care centres, respite homes, hospices, mental health facilities, clinics, and especially HOSPITALS WHICH CHARGE EXTORTIONATE PARKING FEES!! Please enhance this petition with a link to the recommendations made by the Canadian Association for Retired Persons in 2014. Thanks. 2. I'm on ODSP and a single mom. I have 5 different medical issues and I need help right now to take care of everything. There is no help for us. We are just being passed on to the next organization. 3. I’m the mother of a teenager with an intellectual disability. The challenge of caring for my child will only increase as both of us age. 4. Je suis récipendiaire de soins. Je vois la population viellissante, la société doit se préparer à supporter les aidants. 5. Our parents are often the caregivers who support us, people with disabilities, in our day-to-day lives, so we can be as independent as possible, and contribute to Canadian society. They deserve better! 6. We have a duty to support caregivers who are looking after their children as they age and become unwell themselves. By keeping our kids out of the system we are saving the government money. 7. To those who have ever needed this support or have family that has, you understand the need for this support. To the others.... wait until you need it and it is not there. CARE! NOW! 8. After 6 years as sole caregiver to a loved one with dementia, I can assure you that in most areas of Canada there is little to no real support for unpaid caregivers. I found the health system in this area is unorganized, underfunded and understaffed. Canada is failing its most vulnerable citizens. 9. The 'sandwich generation' will ultimately die young as they are exhausted by managing the extensive needs of young children and elderly parents with illness. In our family, both age groups have profound illness and my kids are growing up discouraged by what adult life looks like. Rural areas are deserts for support. We need laws in place for people who have disabilities, for people who take care of these people and give up their jobs to do so, and for elder care in general. 10. My mom is 89 and I am 70. Support is becoming more and more necessary and often difficult. 11. Yes caregivers are the ones who crash and burn and need help. Many of my friends are caregivers to special needs children. I am also a caregiver to my husband. 12. I was a caregiver for both of my parents. 13. Caring for my son relegated me to live in poverty ... where the two of us continue to struggle to survive. 14. I'm pushing 80 & have cancer. The sibling that will take over will desperately need better financial support! 15. I am a caregiver to a daughter with a developmental disability and complex medical issues. I am also a social worker who supports caregivers caring for loved ones with dementia. I have experienced first-hand the stress and burnout that caregivers have to endure with no supports available to them. 16. More needs to be done! It can happen to anyone! 17. Everyone knows someone who is in this position! Support is Desperately needed! 18. This problem gets more expensive the longer we wait. The opportunity to act is NOW. 19. For 31 years I have been the primary caregiver for my three biological children who each have significant disabilities. I educated them at home. I cared for them medically in conjunction with the medical profession. I have averaged a weekend off every five years or so. I have not received any pay and I do not receive any recognition or value for my time, effort and dedication. My family understands my value but the community does not. During this time I have also cared for my father for his terminal cancer and I now care for my mother. To not recognize my labour and value is to permit caregivers like me to be treated as slaves. 20. I have M.S. and sometimes worry about my future but I can't allow that to consume me as stress can trigger exacerbations and I have been symptom free since July21, 1996. The future can be scary for those of us that have incurable diseases so I hope and pray that Minister Duclos and Prime Minister Trudeau hear us. 21. Been there. Done that. Doing that. No support. Exhausting. 22. The parent who lived with me died almost 9 years ago and I still don't have a support system. 23. My experience has taught me that when you don't have time to care for your friends, you lose them. As a single senior myself now, I find it difficult to make social connections. I have one friend who is 88 years of age and who is still caring for her adult son with Aspergers Syndrome and they have no support. 24. With dementia expected to affect one in three Canadians over the age of 60, care for caregivers will become more and more critical as the population ages. 25. It is an abuse of people, particularly women, to keep using them as caregivers for all kind of situations without adequate support. Informal caregivers are not professionals. Women do not stay home anymore. They work and have to take time off from their work while suffering further damages when being overlooked for raises, promotions, etc. All of this further affects their future pensions. Canada benefits enormously from all of this and better support should be provided. "Not having the budget for it" is no excuse since there is money for other things. 26. I worked in the voluntary sector in the 70s ad 80s. We were begging for this kind of action then but it didn't happen. I really hope that we can get somewhere with it now - after all it is 2018! 27. I have been the caregiver to elderly parents at the same time as working and raising my daughter on my own. Help in the form of programs, people or financial assistance would have aided my family and helped me balance my own health and life at the time. 28. I am signing because I have been a caregiver most of my life. 29. I am a caregiver to my son who is type 1 diabetic with epilepsy as well, who requires 24/7 care, which I've been providing his whole life. Now I suffer many illnesses due to exhaustion and have never been able to work due to his needs. We need support. 30. I have been the primary caregiver for an aging parent. I can only work a part time job because the home care support I need to provide is pretty much 24/7. I have given up friends, vacations and even something as simple as a dinner out with a friend. 31. Everyone should know that we ALL get older and may need a caregiver! It is a right for everyone! 32. All politicians of all party lines should look in the mirror before they ignore this obvious basic need for all Canadians. We definitely need better support, and a broad range of services and resources for care givers! Going from a wife to a caregiver has been life altering, scary, and necessary. 33. I am honored to be here through my husband's transition. I only wish there were a system that addressed the chaos and supports quality of life for everyone involved. 34. I have been a caregiver and found the help that was needed was not there, and when it was, you were expected to jump through hoops to get access. At that time I was spiritually and emotionally drained. Please support this petition. 35. I have a 39 yr old son with severe schizophrenia who was hit by car while walking in a school zone and now has severe short term memory and no taste or smell because of a head injury. He needs 24-hour care as his sleep is also out of whack....yes more help would be a blessing. 36. The warehousing of our elderly is inhumane. Time to re-jig the tax regime to allow for tax credits for all volunteer caregivers so that they are not paying twice for the care they give. Taxes should be targeted with sunset reviews and closures, to end the needless job creation strategies of our bureaucracies, and redirect those funds to our volunteer care givers. 37. We have maternity leave and resources for parents with new children but none for the end cycle of life, supporting our parents when they are dying. This is just as important, if not more! 38. Living in a rural part of the country, finding help to care for aging parents and trying to keep them at home where they're comfortable is difficult, never mind the burden of cost. We think parents and grandparents who care for young children deserve similar consideration. Caregivers for end of life care and for those of us facing a life-threatening illness also deserve assistance. 39. I know caregivers of disabled family members who can't get any respite services. They go to their jobs all day and then come home and take over caregiving from the PSWs. They deserve time for self-caring since all of their time is devoted to caring for others. 40. I’m 54 and have had multiple disabilities for 17 years and will one day need more help. I manage, but it is very hard every day. I hope when I need more help government will help pay for this and provide a retirement package. I can’t imagine doing and paying for all that for someone else when I have next to no money. If the government helps it would be amazing for so many people. Thank you. 41. Our elderly numbers are increasing dramatically. The health toll on their "aging children/caregivers" is significant. We need stress free supports for these caregivers. It is good prevention and ultimately good financial planning too! 42. Having experienced decades of my father's caring for my mother, my sister-in-law's caring for her mother, and my friend's parents providing supports for daily living, I am well aware of the pressures, the need for financial supports, respite, and a systemic overhaul at all levels. Yes, change is needed!! 43. I am a caregiver. What happens when I get sick? 44. Our seniors are precious. They have put in their time, taken care of others, contributed to society and deeply impacted life as we know it. They deserve our respect and time, and to be treated with love and compassion, NO MATTER WHAT. 45. We don't know what someone's life path will be so must not judge them. All of us deserve respect and should be able to live out the rest of our years in comfort, still be heard, have a say as to how and where we are living and how we are treated. Money shouldn't ever be an issue. There should be public funds set aside for accommodating seniors. All of us will be there someday. Think about that! 46. I agree that caregivers need help, and that the need will only increase. 47. The 'baby boomers' will continue to need assistance as they get older and less mobile. Most would prefer to remain at home rather than at hospitals or long term care facilities which are very costly. This would also take some of the pressure off hospitals that are already overcrowded. 48. $25 billion in savings is huge! Caregivers need to be recognized, please sign and share. 49. Because my mom has Alzheimer's and heart disease (86 years old) and dad died 2015 from Parkinson's disease at 85 years old. With kids at university, working full-time as teachers, and my in-laws my husband have dementia and heart disease!! I am stretched thin!! WHAT CAN I DO???? 50. I have been a caregiver for my husband for many years. I’m happy to do so, but help wouldn’t go unnoticed. There are days I feel very alone. Financial help would be a huge help. I’m supposed to get respite care but it hasn’t happened yet. 51. Caregivers are a significant part of our culture and their contributions need to have better support across Canada. It's a very overwhelming, exhausting, lonely, guilt ridden and expensive journey to care for loved ones with disabilities or in their final days which we know can take years of dedication from their caregivers. I applaud the caregivers in Canada who work tirelessly to help others and hope this petition brings necessary changes and meaningful support. 52. Caregivers play a major part in the stable family, the backbone of the country. They are in need of finial assistance. Please help. 53. Caring for your loved ones is the best care around. Best for the system. Best for the people involved. But they need to be supported in order to keep up their strength and faith. 54. As a former caregiver and a PSW Instructor I know first-hand the stress of not having enough support in the community. Unfamiliarity of working through the system to get care and not enough staff add even more stress to a family at its most vulnerable time. Two hours a week to support someone at home is not enough. More respite hours are needed for family members caring for their loved ones 24/7. This initiative is greatly needed. 55. Caregivers and families are being ripped apart by the stresses. Supports are long overdue. 56. Families need more support while caring for their loved ones. It is difficult enough to watch them deteriorate. We desperately need help as we care for our parents and our children. We need help as we sacrifice/dedicate ourselves to their well-being. We need help to better understand the aging process and its illnesses. We need help. 57. I have been my mother's caregiver since 2008. My mother turned 102 years old 4 days ago on Feb 22, 2018. She is healthy for her age, but she is totally deaf in both ears. 58. Living at home with loved ones is the most compassionate care but this is very hard on the loved ones right now in Canada. 59. Too many families struggle in isolation to meet the needs of loved ones with disabilities. This must end. 60. The government wants the elderly to stay in their homes for as long as possible...yet does not do enough to make that a reality. 61. I know first-hand as a single parent the sacrifices and challenges of looking after both young kids with mental health issues as well as a parent with Dementia, Parkinson, Tourette’s and an older sibling with a rare physically disabling diseases SPS (Stiff Person Syndrome). We need more help and funding to provide a better quality of life for everyone. 62. I would love to see supports legislated. I have been caring for my wife after her stroke(s) 6 months ago. Little to no supports and constant burn out from getting less than 4 hours sleep a day. 63. Yes support is needed for caregivers. Had our son not helped me for 5 years with the huge responsibility, I could not have done what was vital to caring for our friend through to the end. 64. This is a critical issue which needs to be addressed. A country like Canada can well afford to rectify this situation, especially when individuals and corporations not paying their fair share to begin with. 65. I cared for my dad in his home till he passed from the day of diagnosis-2 months. I lost my job so did my sister who was helping 24/7 It would have been nice to have support --death takes a village too. 66. I have been my husband’s primary caregiver for 23 years. He has been totally disabled, unable even to move a finger for 19 years with MS. I do get some help with self managed care, for which I am truly grateful. However, I am perpetually overwhelmed with the responsibility of it all. I rarely get away from the stress. Poor guy is so grateful for my help and is always apologizing, it breaks my heart. 67. I took care of my husband at home for 6 years after he had a devastating stroke. He was retired when the stroke occurred but I wasn't. I haven't worked since and the costs associated with physio, Botox treatments, drugs and even the 8 hours a week of respite I received devastated our savings. Caregivers deserve payments similar to EI or much better tax credits to help with expenses. I had a lot of family support but after 6 years I simply could not carry on. My husband reluctantly agreed to go into an assisted living facility 1 year ago. Our family home will be sold to support my husband living apart. There is nothing about these situations that is easy. 68. I helped look after my mom before she passed. She was in an assisted living facility but I took her grocery shopping, to MD appointments etc, at the same time working full time and my hubby is bipolar. Just after she passed away my hubby was diagnosed with Parkinson’s so for the last 3 1/2 yrs I’ve been just looking after him. Meanwhile my health has gotten worse. NOT a fun time! He should qualify for supports because of his conditions so I can get some down-time. I’m near the breaking point. 69. I have been a family caregiver all of my adult life. Our adult son has disabilities and my mom is 96 and frail. In order to continue to have strong Canadian families who have the capacity to give care across ages and abilities, we need information and support. It's important and needed. 70. So much time is needed caring for someone but it is also time away from work or even no job at all, leaving the caregiver with no funds for other things that are needed, like home and car repairs, special modifications to the home that would be beneficial for the loved one. 71. Caregivers do need that support - their "job" is 24/7 and no one can deal with that stress for long! 72. Kudos to caregivers for their strength and dedication to their loved ones. 73. Caregivers provide care that the medical profession does not. We need support to do that well. 74. Caregivers save our country huge amounts of money and provide far more personal care that institutions or even visiting home care providers, BUT they often have to give up or cut back seriously on their own paid work in order to look after ailing family members. They deserve to receive decent financial assistance during this period and it would still cost government less than placing these poor folks in impersonal “warehousing” institutions. 75. Caregivers are indispensable to a fully functioning, healthy, strong and compassionate society. 76. I needed help with my family situation for ten years. I also spent a lot of money that I could not claim on my income tax. I don't expect to be paid for my caring, but would appreciate being able to declare it as lost income. 77. I watched a caregiver's increased mental and physical stress while caring for a loved one; not to mention the emotional stress. Her love and dedication could have landed her in the hospital if it weren't for her amazing stamina and the support of other loved ones for her. It's called community, and this saves the government billions of dollars in health care. There are so many aspects involved in this that could be supported by our government with a thoughtful strategy and protocol for supporting caregivers. Please check this out and sign if you agree. 78. I believe that, at a minimum, the recommendations from CARP should be implemented. 79. I need supports and help with my son who has autism whom I care for. He may never leave home and I am an aging parent that needs supports. Please start helping us so we can continue to help our loved ones !!! 80. Govt needs to understand the vital role caregivers play. If they keep neglecting us, then "the system" will be even MORE stressed as they will have to figure out who will provide care for the burnt out caregivers!! 81. I am a caregiver who cannot work at a normal job as I often need to take my partner to appointments or medical check-ups. That lowers the amount of income we can make. The only help I can get from the government is giving him a shower. I have showered with my husband every morning for 46 years. Why would I stop now? I need help with cleaning house, not cleaning my husband. Our income has been affected by the stock market crash and my ability to get a full time job. 82. I am signing for my friend who gives 24 seven care to her 99 Year old mother. 83. As the economic performance of the country keeps moving along the subtle increases in the cost of living do not go unnoticed by retired Canadians on fixed incomes. The largely unrecognized social support provided to the needy in their lives should be valued by the rest of society through tax relief at the least if not direct assistance. Our backs are getting weak - please get off them! 84. C'est important que les proches aidants soient soutenus financièrement. Ils font économiser une fortune aux gouvernements. 85. I was my mom's caregiver for more than 7 years and I have 3 grand kids on the autism spectrum. 86. Caregiver's need a lifeline. It really is that simple. 87. We have spent the last eight years caring for elderly parents in their 90s. They were in retirement homes and eventually nursing homes but still required almost daily assistance, for social interaction, medical appointments, clothing needs, financial management assistance and advocacy. This was at a time when we were facing increased medical demands of our own. I am watching friends buckle under the demands in terms of time and expense of their ageing parents as well as their adult children and grandchildren. 88. These are people we love and treasure but these are also our last active years. Time is running out. 89. We worked hard to have "our" time in retirement before our own infirmities close in. 90. I have been a caregiver and it is hard work that definitely takes a toll on the pocketbook. It is worth it to see the gov’t give something to these angels who selflessly give of themselves to make a loved one’s life better. These supports are desperately needed so many are under severe pressure financially, emotionally, and physically. 91. I know this issue first-hand! My son was diagnosed with cancer age 15 and passed away at 19. 92. As his 24 hr caregiver and advocate, I was unable to work for 6 yrs without help..."stressful" is an understatement!! 93. I think caregivers should be helped out, they are the friends and family who will be there for you and me when we get old, when we become sick, when we are dying. They give us dignity. 94. We must take care of our people and preferably at home. So it is common sense that the caregivers are taken care of as well. With little training and no support they are at risk of great suffering in their effort to support loved ones in trouble. Why is this even debatable? 95. As the major care-giver for my husband who has PPMS, I can attest to how difficult it is to look after someone you love 24 hours a day. It is physically, mentally and, especially, emotionally challenging. Fortunately, we have enough money to hire extra help from LHIN and CCAC. If we didn't have it, I am not sure my husband could have stayed at home, and going into a home is the very last step we want to take. Making caregiver support is not only healthier for the patient and their caregiver, it will also cost the government far less than subsidizing nursing homes, and will alleviate certain crucial problems in the present system, like caregiver and elder abuse, marriage breakdown, etc.. 96. Supporting family caregivers at home is the kindest and most cost effective way to look after loved ones. 97. Support for caregivers not only gives them and their loved ones the assistance they need and deserve; it will greatly reduce the healthcare costs facing us all in the future. We can't afford not to do this. 98. All people are entitled to Canadian labour law standards. 99. My wife suffered a stroke 6 and a half years ago and I have been her sole care giver since. If I were not able to care for her she would have to be hospitalized or in a nursing home. Statistics say that hospital care in New Brunswick is approx. $1000.00 a day and nursing home care approx. $ 3000.00 a month. 100. For the last two years Govts. at both the federal and provincial levels have been promising money to keep people out of hospitals and nursing homes. It is very expensive for me to keep a disabled person at home. I feel that as a care giver I have been an asset to the Govt. Nova Scotia has a care giver benefit of $400.00 per month. I have contributed to society by working until I was 71 years old. My wife and I are both 76 and I think we deserve a break. 101. I believe in this important cause !!! 102. My husband and I took care of my mother from age 86 through 94 in our home...I am not sorry at all to have done this BUT it was a stressful and isolating experience... informal caregivers need and deserve help!! 103. Our dear caregivers often work the hardest, and they support the most vulnerable of our society. 104. Caregivers deserve full support for their tireless and selfless toil on behalf of our senior citizens. 105. Let’s show them the respect and dignity they deserve!! We owe it to them. 106. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME, and if it's not *yet* important to you, it will be. I promise you that. 107. I have so many friends who are pushed to their limits caring for loved ones with varying needs. 108. My father, already a senior, and not in the best of health himself, took care of my mother the last 10 years of her life. I now find myself in a similar position. 109. As a family caregiver for 45 years I have never seen one penny I have saved the Canadian government, the government of Ontario, and the government of Toronto millions and millions of dollars and yet I have struggled to care for four people in my family, three at one time for many years. 110. I worked as a professional caregiver for about 8 years. I saw spouses, families, children caring for their loved ones who need 24/7 help. You love them, you completely burn out and then you need a caregiver too. Caregivers need care themselves on so many levels. It's way past time to address this issue. 111. I'm signing because a dear friend who I have known all of my adult life is caring for her aging parents, and another dear friend is at the end of her life and is being cared for by her children. Caregivers have gone un-noticed and unheard for too long and it's time we recognized them for the heroes they truly are. 112. I’m signing because my husband has been in a nursing home for 15 years. Before that I took care of him in our home with no financial help & now he’s paying over $2000 for care. As for myself I’m on a low income. This is very sad. 113. Caregivers who dedicate their entire lives to caring for loved ones deserve so much more! 114. I'm a burnt out caregiver at the moment!! Navigating our health care system is daunting, so I’m signing because Caregivers need the support of all of us! 115. Caregivers should be recognized and fairly compensated for the valuable care they are giving to family members, young or old. This is done in countries like Australia where I personally know of at least one or two compensated by the Australia Government so that they can care for and keep their loved ones at home longer without having to worry about lack of income on top of the stress that comes with being a caregiver! The Canadian Government needs to step up and treat these caregivers across the country on a fair and compassionate basis. It should be a national program ...fairness across the whole country. 116. You don’t understand until it happens to you. 117. This is something that is very important. When you're taking care of a sick family member, working/money should be the last thing on your mind. You should be able to focus all your attention on your loved one. Please sign. 118. My husband and I are caregivers for our daughter who has SMA and is severely physically disabled, requiring 24/7 care for almost all her needs. As caregivers we feel that we are ignored. We have reduced incomes but are saving the government thousands of dollars per day by not placing our daughter in a facility. It is time that the government recognize all the caregivers and support us sufficiently! Thank you for starting this petition! 119. Parce que mon mari a fait un acu et je m occupe de lui. 120. Caregivers need our support. Caring & supporting homecare is much more cost effective than hospital care. I am a parent of a 6 year-old daughter with a rare, complex, medical condition that has left her with significant global developmental delays and technology dependent for her survival. We are exhausted (physically, mentally, emotionally and financially). We love her to pieces and couldn't stand the thought of relinquishing her care and having her hospitalized. It makes sense to help us care for her otherwise the costs of handing her over to the health care system would be astronomical! Not to mention what we'll cost the system if we burn out. 121. Few have the resources to even look for resources to help a loved one. 122. I am a mother and caregiver of two special needs children, and I give my full support! Looking after our ill or disabled loved ones has to be one of the hardest & most selfless act of unconditional love. We need more caregivers to take care of loved ones who desperately need help. 123. This is the harsh reality many Canadian face. 124. I am seeing caregiver burnout in my wife. Even though the parents my wife and I are caring for are already in two separate homes (one in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s, the other with dementia is awaiting reunification with his wife of 70 years for almost half a year now), I feel deep compassion for those who have one or more persons in their care without sufficient supports. 125. THIS IS A JUST CAUSE. 126. It's is so sad that the government doesn't see what stress a family goes through, so many hoops! 127. Why should we have to beg and plead for help to take care of the ones we love? Sending you lots of love! Together we can make a difference. 128. Caregivers are our invisible soldiers at the front-line of humanity. I have a 21 year old son with cerebral palsy. This is vital for all caregivers. We need to insure that we take care of our caregivers...It can be a thankless and costly undertaking. I support this 100 miles/hour! 129. I am deeply concerned about caregivers burning out while juggling careers, raising younger families and looking after elderly parents. 130. I am proud to say that I am one of those silent caregivers who looks after my elderly mother and as much as I love being there for her, some days I am weary from the constant stress and worry about her health and welfare. 131. I've been taking care of my disabled son for nearly 24 years. It's absolutely exhausting and I'm beyond burned out. Something must be done. 132. I am part of the sandwich generation ... caring for elders, as well as being responsible for our adult, middle-aged daughter. 133. YES! We are going through this now ourselves. A parent taken by ambulance in very poor condition to hospital and as there were no beds he might be discharged to the same dangerous conditions as before. This puts our family in a bad position because we ourselves are unwell and struggling for help. 134. I save BC thousands a year caring for my child with multiple disabilities. My reward is poverty, which my kid will inherit. 135. I am signing because I have been a single mom of 2 with disabilities for the past 18 yrs, limiting my time to work , having to keep to minimum wage jobs with flexibility of scheduling in order to care for them . My own retirement plan is non-existent, my supports in any fashion are nil! It has contributed negatively to not only my own financial health but to my physical , mental and emotional health as well! No one deserves what I am facing without a lack of support in any fashion . And now that my children have reached young adulthood, there are even less supports! For some reason, it seems, the government believes a child "suddenly becomes un-disabled at age 19, when s/he becomes an adult" ...good luck with that! I will be the sole caregiver until I am no longer able ... then what happens ?? Governments need to step up to the plate and realize this is the plight of many out here in the "real world". 136. The federal government needs to set the example for provinces and put things into place. 137. There is a crisis. The cost of lost revenue, buying power and pension accumulation suffered by carers. The lack of respect for those not "gainfully employed". The cost to our health system of the deterioration of the mental and physical health of burnt out carers. Suicide by carers or worse the murder of innocent vulnerable people by desperate caregivers. And on and on. The ridiculous administrative burden put on carers by ministry requirements for reporting that probably cost as much in staff time as they prove accountability. Broken system. 138. Caregivers work relentlessly to help loved ones! 139. I provide care 24/7/365 for 7 yrs now to hubby with early onset Alzheimers. I had 2 nights off in the 1st 4 1/2 yrs and a 10 day break last summer. I don't get paid! I have no life of my own. Beyond exhausted! 140. Yes! I'm a caregiver, trying to support myself and my mom while caring for her and with almost no help. I've had months just wishing for death -- my own, not hers. It's just a constant and general devaluation of "women's work" and of people with needs. 141. Have relatives and friends that struggle daily with these issues. Very draining emotionally, physically and financially for them. 142. This is a forgotten area in today's environment which simply doesn't make sense when we consider the aging population and lack of sufficient medical care. 143. As Canadians are aging as a population, the role of in-home caregivers will increase. The more the government can do now to put in place a vital "support system" for in-home caregivers, the greater will be the savings for the medical system generally with more people being able to remain at home with adequate, personal care and not be forced out onto more expensive, less caring and often abusive outside facilities. 144. Family and other informal caregivers are vital to our health care and social services systems. Let's give them the support they need! 145. 20 years of lost income caring for my son on the autism spectrum. 3 years service on the family caregivers committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada representing children & youth. 146. This petition is well worded and needs to be appreciated by a wide audience! Thanks for this. 147. The costs of caring for family with disabilities is not recognized by government. Then add to this the PTSD that can result after repeated medical emergencies as well as the problems of combining caregiving with employment and you can see the difficulties faced by loving family members. It's troubling. Supports not present for disabled citizens and no recognition of the need for one-stop shopping for services/supports for not only the disabled citizen but also for the caregiver. 148. My mother, with Alzheimer's, is 96 years old, and I have had multiple sclerosis for the past 30 years. With quiet determination, we care for each other to the best of our ability with love and empathy. Is there any reason why we shouldn't be properly supported by government? We have paid our dues. 149. My brother lives with me and I am his caregiver. 150. Apart from 1/2 hour of home care in the mornings 6 days a week, and 1 Saturday off every other week, I am the sole caregiver for my brain injured son. We have no family. It's just him and me. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose my mind but I can't quit! There is no one else. This has gone on for 20 years. Who will help me? 151. This should be and election issue. 152. It’s devastating and unfair that so many family caregivers must step up and put their lives, work, family life and aspirations on hold while carrying out duties for a loved one needing help. It’s also a heavy financial drain for families when so much is put on hold, so that both earnings and outgoing costs take a toll on family finances. 153. I have been a caregiver for 12.5 years. It is heartbreaking to watch your partner diminished bit by bit by congestive heart failure, cancer, diabetes and now dementia. There is no time off for good behaviour for us and no money for our replacement, even for a short holiday. I know I'm not alone in this situation, but it is a very long time to be on my own as we both age. 154. If we had not been there to help my mother, she would have had to negotiate the medical system on her own while Ill with Alzheimer's. It was incredibly stressful for all, required unpaid leave from work, and many expenses. This is not right in a funded health care system. Seniors are close to being the majority of the population and we will find ourselves unable to cope while protesting that we didn't see it coming. 155. I was the caregiver for my mom & grandma. They both had multiple health problems. Some that practically debilitated my mom. It was tough sometimes but it was also nice to feel useful and needed by the two people who raised me. I miss both of them. I think about them every day. Caring for my two lovely ladies is something I'll never forget. #ShoutOutToCaregivers :) 156. I support this as someone who had to leave a fairly good job to look after my mother full time. There is no support for family caregivers. We still have bills to pay and are forgotten even though we have paid taxes for many years. Time for change! 157. All Canadians deserve adequate and equal support as care givers across Canada! 158. When caregivers are cared for, loved ones benefit. 159. I have a 91 year old father and am a senior myself. 160. We need to care for our loved ones without needless stress. 161. As a person living with cancer I experience the benefits of the love and support of an incredible caregiver. It’s at least as important as the medical care I receive. 162. This could be any of us looking after our parents or partners. 163. I have been a full time caregiver. I know how hard it is. Compassionate care EI only covers for a very short period of time. I had to go on welfare to look after my mom full time as she died of cancer. This was a huge blow to me emotionally, as I have worked all of my life. Something must be done! 164. I have been a full-time caregiver for my mother with Alzheimer's while assisting my husband with chronic serious illnesses. There is no exhaustion like caregiver exhaustion! No matter how much we love those we care for we are human and have limits that, when we push too hard past them, affect our mental and physical health. 165. This is necessary so our elders can receive the support they deserve by healthy family members! 166. Sooner or later we all will need help and the ongoing care of a caregiver we trust. For many, that is a family member who knows us best, and can care for us in the comfort and familiarity of our home. Government needs to step up - recognize and support these caregivers whose dedicated service provides a huge savings, on what would otherwise be a huge financial burden on the already stressed health care system. 167. My husband and I have been caring for our youngest son, who has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism (and needs 24/7 assistance), for almost 31 years. 168. I care for my husband who has dementia and Parkinson's, and my son who has a rare disease called "stiff person syndrome". I care for them both 24/7 in our own home, and could use some extra help. Luckily I am a healthy senior! Caregivers save the government billions of dollars a year. Some of this money should be allotted to them in the form of respite care, so they can afford a small vacation and get refreshed to help their loved ones. 169. Those who are caring for their loved ones are providing free service and, in turn, saving the government money. Where's the justice in that? 170. No man is an island. We all need each other. 171. Because one day I am going to be old too! 172. I looked after my grandmother for 6 months. Hardest thing I ever did. 173. I’m signing because some caregivers give so much of themselves for others -- they deserve all that's in this petition and more. 174. I was a caregiver for 8 years. Had to leave my high paying job for zero pay for those years. I have first-hand experience in what it is like to have no financial support, plus the loss of what I would have paid into my CPP. 175. I took care of my aging, crippled and invalid mom. I was so exhausted it took me two years to recover afterwards then I discovered I had cancer, which was almost unheard-of in our family!! Caregivers need help, encouragement, respect, honor, tax breaks and real help from government!! 176. For family and friends who work endlessly. 177. I am a full time caregiver for my severely disabled 26 year old son. I also care for 89 year old father, 95 year old aunt's palliative care, and watch over my 85 year old mom. I'm supposed to be "retired", but I'm caregiving on a minimum pension. We need pension credit, at the very least, for full time caregiving that does not allow us to work in paid employment outside the home. Do the right thing! 178. They used to call assistance to the business sector during hard times "pump priming". It helped the employers and the employees and the whole nation benefitted. There are few cases like this where a small input can support a disproportionately large output, again benefiting the whole country. 179. We all know someone serving the community as a caregiver. Let's help those who help us! 180. God bless all those who understand that giving and helping is a divine and humble act of honoring those who cleared the path for us. 181. Molto commovente! [Very moving!] 182. Because I have the privilege of being a caregiver. 183. It is so very sad to see the situation as it is now for seniors. Having cared for seniors most of my life, it is important for everyone to understand that we will all, one day, require the help of a family member and/or caregiver! It is a privilege and an honor to be able to help anyone, anytime!! 184. I have been a caregiver to my terminally ill husband who has a rare type of brain cancer and have a daughter who has had breast cancer three times, all in the past three and a half years. I almost burned-out several times but want to keep my husband home as long as possible. I need more help than I am getting from the home care and palliative teams, but feel like I'm competing for scarce resources. I may pay with my own health. I've already paid with my happiness. 185. All Canadians deserve to be cared for by loved ones. 186. I know what it feels like to need a lifeline. 187. My husband and I care for our 24 year-old daughter, who is physically and developmentally disabled. She functions at a toddler level. She is on a wait list for residential care, but we might have to wait 20 years for it. There are 12,000 or more families like us in Ontario caring for adult children at home. 188. I am a mother of a 32 year old woman with complex special needs. I continue to support her efforts to live a full life while I carve out my own path. 189. I've seen too many caregivers struggle. 190. Long-term caregiving is a marathon race. 191. I am a daughter of an ill and disabled father getting full-time care by an ill and disabled mother. 192. I have become physically disabled over the past 6 years. I use an electric wheelchair to get around outside my home. I don't move a great deal at home, and my family has had to make adjustments or sacrifices for me & my disability. It isn't fair to them, but currently, they are my only source of help! My family receives no extra recognition or remuneration. I can only afford to provide room & board because I am on a senior's pension. 193. I am a caregiver. We burnout. We're not an inexhaustible supply for the government to use to care for people for free. We need help. 194. Caregivers need every kind of support and encouragement, because their work is really hard and involves the greatest gift of all to humans, which is love and care for each another. 195. I've been a caregiver to my parents and in-laws for 30 years without help. I don’t want that for my kids. 196. Caregivers need support. They help reduce the costs of long term health care for the government. 197. Provincial and federal governments need to ensure that caregivers can sustain the mental and physical well being of their family and themselves. This includes loss of income or loss of employment. Otherwise additional costs to for medical and financial aid will be incurred by government to assist caregivers and their family. The health care system needs fixing. Giving financial support and credit to caregivers is a start. I suggest EI at 100% and tax free for at least 12 months at a minimum. That cost is much, much less that the cost of a patient in a hospital for 12 months. 198. Care givers need support just like they provide to families. They play an important part in people lives and they need to know that they are supported and appreciated for the amazing work they do! 199. My daughter was born with cerebral palsy. I have been taking care of her for 32 years , I have had help from my family and friends but mostly my daughters older sister. I don't know how I could have managed all these years without her help but she is 35 years old now and has a life of her own. I am solely responsible for everything pertaining to my daughter's life. I am turning 60 this year and I can't handle everything anymore, physically and emotionally. For over 8 years I have been trying to get my daughter in an independently living home, and more funding for her programs, but we'll be lucky to get anything unless I'm seriously ill or die. It is getting harder and harder to do this day in and day out. I can't handle this much more but no one is listening. I have no choice but to be there for my daughter all the time. 200. C'est essentiel! 201. I am signing because I am an aging parent concerned for my son's care when we can no longer help him. 202. I am a care provider to 2 parents in mid to late 80ties. It is very hard to call your life your own without assistance in any of the chores and /or medical appointments. Unless one needs personal assistance with bathing, incontinence products or dressing there is no help from the provincial level of government. 203. The more you do the more is expected. Not every family can afford private care for daily shopping, cooking, cleaning. There needs to be more financial support for care receivers and givers. 204. I'd like to see a world without caregivers for 2 months!!! I think that's all it would take for society to crumble and wave the white flag...it's funny how we as a people want to try to get rid of the most important things that keep us going as a whole...Try getting rid of oxygen and see how well we do without it...