A press release is being distributed to media. Please help spread the word by sharing it as well as the YouTube video posted above. Here is the text of the press release: -------------------------------------------------- A massive tidal wave of seniors will soon strike Canada, and when it does the inadequate care of family caregivers and their loved ones will trigger a crisis unless we prepare for this tsunami. 10 million baby boomers turn 80 in 2026, joining 10 million existing caregivers. In eight years 20 million of us will be involved in caregiving, and this could overwhelm a health system that relies on family caregivers as the backbone of home care. Immediate action is needed if we are to be ready for this tsunami. It is why a CHANGE.ORG petition is calling on the federal government to take better care of family caregivers. It collected over 23,000 signatures in two months, now boasts almost 29,000 supporters, and remains open. Thousands told us why. Many wrote about their isolation, desperation and burnout. Some described being squeezed in the "sandwich generation". One called care-giving "an endurance race" that devalues the needy and women's work, as most caregivers are women. A CIHI study reported this June that almost half of 270,000 caregivers who care for loved ones with dementia "experience distress". It is important to note that all this hardship exists despite the many social services and programs provided by various levels of government. It raises two questions: Why is our wealthy country settling on a patchwork of inadequate supports? Why are senior citizens living out their "golden years" in dire straits after contributing their working lives to society? We can and must do better, since family caregivers save Canada over $24 billion a year in unpaid labour (StatCan, 2012). They also spare us the cost of institutional care, which is estimated to be 4 to 20 times that of home care. Our petition sent an SOS to the Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. It called on him to throw a lifeline to caregivers who are drowning in despair. We also suggested that the honourable minister convene a think tank as soon as possible because Canada urgently needs a plan for accommodating its rapidly aging population -- one in which two of three Canadians will be involved in care-giving. Hallway medicine, elder abuse, homelessness, burn-out and suicide will almost certainly worsen without a plan. However, with a national plan and strategy, Dr. Duclos may soften the tsunami's impact and avert a massive crisis. Contact: Salvatore (Sal) Amenta: samenta03@gmail.com Petition link: https://www.change.org/LifelineForCaregivers