More and more Ontario caregivers, who are simply burned out, are choosing to send loved ones to emergency rooms just to get a break, according to a recently published study.
Toronto resident Adrienne Jackson, a caregiver to her husband Paul who has end-stage renal failure, is one of them.
“People don’t understand how difficult and stressful it is to be a caregiver. Unless you’re in it, you don’t really know what it’s like and the burnout is real,” she shared with CityNews.
Her husband was recently moved into a rehab facility but before that, he was home with Jackson. Caring for him was a full-time job, leading to countless nights without sleep.
After Paul had a series of falls one early morning, she called paramedics and they gave her an option.
“They told me, ‘he hasn’t hit his head, he’s got no bleeds. But you look exhausted, so we would suggest that you have him go to emergency and you stay home and get some rest.’ And that was from a paramedic,” she said.
Jackson had never thought of using the E.R. as a form of respite before but it was 3 A.M. and she was exhausted, both mentally and physically.
“To have someone else say: ‘Oh, you look really tired, maybe take a break’, was actually really helpful,” she said.
Jackson is far from being alone. According to a recent report called the Spotlight on Ontario Caregivers, nearly 1 in 5 caregivers took their care recipient to the hospital ER simply because they needed a break – driving 1.9 million ER visits last year alone.
“What we found out is going to the emergency room as a form of respite is not the first choice for caregivers,” said Amy Coupal, CEO of the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO), which published the report.
“They do it because they feel like they don’t have any other choice in the moment. Sometimes it’s from burnout, sometimes it is from fatigue and sometimes it because it’s that convergence of challenges that they’re facing as a caregiver and they need help.”
Coupal says all of those visits come at a huge cost, translating into $650 million in costs to the healthcare system.
The findings have the OCO on a huge mission to raise awareness about the help that is available to caregivers in need.
“What we know is that caregivers need support early and often, so the sooner we can get to caregivers, the more we can work with them to design a plan that works for them,” said Coupal.
Many communities have ER diversion strategies to help intervene when caregivers feel overwhelmed.
“We’re now working with our health system partners to look at the success of those strategies and how we can make those available to more caregivers in more communities,” she added.
Coupal says any Ontario caregiver can also access the OCO’s free 24/7 hotline.
“That’s really the first step. It’s going to lead to a conversation about the help that you might need and that could come from an organization like ours in one of our free programs and services,” she said.
The OCO is staffed with an army of volunteers trained in helping stressed out caregivers.
“We want to understand your needs, the needs of the person that you care for, and then create a plan where you could connect with the support that’s appropriate based on that understanding,” said Coupal.
While Jackson’s husband is no longer home, she says the OCO remains a trusted resource. She still attends support groups with other caregivers.
“I’ve received a lot of support from that organization so the more caregivers who know about that resource, the better for sure,” she said.
If you’re a caregiver in need, you can call the OCO. hotline at 1-833-416-CARE or visit their website.
If you have an issue, story, or question you’d like us to look into, contact us.
