The Value of Family Caregiving and What Additional Support is Needed

National Family Caregivers Month, observed each November, honors the millions of family and friend caregivers in both the United States and Canada whose unpaid care sustains loved ones and support health and social systems. It’s also a reminder to recognize caregiver stress, promote self-care, and actively connect caregivers to resources so they do not have to carry these responsibilities alone.​

What is National Family Caregivers Month?

In the U.S., National Family Caregivers Month is a November observance led by Caregiver Action Network and formally recognized by presidential proclamations to raise awareness, celebrate caregivers, and connect them to resources. Many Canadian organizations, including Carers Canada and the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, use November for similar awareness campaigns about “carers” and family caregivers, even though it is not yet a federally designated observance in the same way.​

Why Family Caregivers Month Matters

Family caregivers in the U.S. provide the majority of long‑term support to older adults and people with disabilities, with the economic value of that unpaid care estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually. In Canada, an estimated 13–16 million people (roughly one in three to two in five Canadians 15 and older) provide unpaid care, contributing about 5.7 billion hours of care work each year with an imputed economic value of approximately 97.1 billion Canadian dollars (CAD).​

What Family Caregivers Do and Their Impact

Family caregivers support loved ones with activities of daily living (such as bathing, dressing, and meals), medical and nursing tasks, medication management, transportation, and coordination with health and social service providers. Their efforts reduce hospitalizations, enable people to remain at home longer, and fill major workforce gaps in long‑term care and home care systems in both countries.

Region	Estimated Caregivers	Care Hours/Year	Estimated Annual Value
United States	Over 53 million adults providing unpaid care	Billions of hours of unpaid care each year (varies by estimate)	Often valued at more than 470 billion USD annually
Canada	About 13.4 million Canadians providing unpaid care in 2022 (42% of those 15+)	Around 5.7 billion unpaid caregiving hours per year	About 97.1 billion CAD in imputed economic value

These numbers underscore that without family caregivers, home, community, and long‑term care in both the U.S. and Canada would be at serious risk of collapse.​

Common Stressors and Issues Caregivers Face

Across both countries, caregivers frequently experience:

• Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems, sometimes leading to clinical burnout.​
• Physical health impacts such as fatigue, pain, and worsened chronic conditions due to neglect of their own care.​
• Social isolation and loss of friendships or hobbies because caregiving is time‑intensive and unpredictable.​
• Financial strain, reduced work hours, or leaving the workforce, which can cause income loss and missed career opportunities. This is estimated to cost the Canadian economy over a billion dollars in lost productivity alone.​

Caregivers from equity‑deserving groups, including women, low‑income families, racialized communities, and young caregivers, often face additional barriers and heavier burdens.​

How Individuals Can Support Caregivers

Individuals in both the U.S. and Canada can make caregiving more sustainable by:

• Offering concrete help, such as taking a regular shift, providing transportation, preparing meals, or helping navigate systems and forms.​
• Checking in regularly, listening without judgment, and validating the emotional toll of caregiving.​
• Encouraging caregivers to access helplines, peer groups, counseling, and respite services, and reassuring them that seeking help is a sign of strength, not failure.​

Helplines powered by platforms like iCarol can play a crucial role by screening for caregiver burnout, providing emotional support, and offering warm referrals to local resources, respite programs, and mental health services.​

How Society and Policy Can Help

In the United States, policy responses include the RAISE Family Caregivers Act and federal strategies that focus on caregiver education, respite, financial security, and better integration into health systems. Programs under the Older Americans Act and state-level caregiver support initiatives offer respite, training, and counseling, though access and funding can be uneven.​

In Canada, a developing National Caregiving Strategy led by the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence calls for:

• Expanding caregiver supports, programs, and respite services.
• Improving income supports, employment protections, and benefits (including tax measures and caregiver leave).
• Embedding caregiving into health and social policy as an essential pillar, not an afterthought.​

Provinces and territories have also introduced a patchwork of caregiver tax credits, job‑protected leaves, and targeted programs, though advocates argue that more robust supports are still needed.​

Organizations and Helplines for Caregivers (U.S. and Canada)

Caregivers should not hesitate to reach out for practical guidance and emotional support. Key options include:

United States

• Caregiver Action Network (CAN): Offers education, peer support, and advocacy for family caregivers across conditions.​
• National Caregiver Help Desk (CAN): Provides free expert support at 1‑855‑227‑3640 and via online chat or email.​
• VA Caregiver Support Line: For caregivers of U.S. veterans, reachable at 1‑855‑260‑3274 with coaching, information, and referrals to VA programs.​
• 211 is available to connect callers with local caregiving, financial, and mental health resources.​

Canada

• Carers Canada / Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence: National organizations advancing caregiver research, advocacy, and policy, and connecting people to resources.​
• Ontario Caregiver Organization: Offers a 24/7 caregiver helpline (1‑833‑416‑2273), peer support, and online resources for caregivers in Ontario and beyond.​
• Provincial and condition‑specific supports such as Caregivers Alberta, L’Appui pour les proches aidants (Québec), Young Caregivers Association, and disease‑focused organizations (e.g., MS Canada caregiver supports) provide groups, education, and navigation help.
• ​211 is available to connect callers with local caregiving, financial, and mental health resources.

Locally, many community agencies, seniors’ organizations, and mental health helplines in both countries use case management and CRM tools like iCarol to track caregiver needs, coordinate follow‑up, and ensure no caregiver falls through the cracks.​

Summary

Family caregivers in the United States and Canada provide extraordinary care that keeps loved ones safe, dignified, and connected, yet this work often comes with immense emotional, physical, and financial strain. No caregiver should feel ashamed for feeling overwhelmed or for seeking help; reaching out to a helpline, a healthcare provider, a community agency, or a peer support group, is a vital part of protecting your own mental and physical wellbeing.​

iCarol is honored to support helplines and service organizations that stand alongside caregivers every day, offering a compassionate ear, crisis support, and connections to the services that can lighten the load.

Sources:
National Association of Federal Retirees
The Vanier Institute of the Family
Canada’s Caregiving Crisis: Bold National Strategy Demands Urgent Federal Action
Caregiver Action Network
National Family Caregivers Month – SAMHSA
How to Honor Caregivers During National Family Caregivers Month
National Caregiving Strategy – Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence
National Family Caregivers Month – The Administration for Community Living
Study: “Sandwiched” between multiple unpaid caregiving responsibilities
Value of Family Caregiving in Canada – University of Alberta/University of Manitoba (PDF)
The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers – US Department of Veterans Affairs
Study: Families Caring for an Aging America – National Library of Medicine
Research Snapshot: The Value and Distribution of Family Caregiving in Canada
Who cares and how much? The imputed economic contribution to the Canadian healthcare system of middle-aged and older unpaid caregivers providing care to the elderly
Caregiver stress: Tips for taking care of yourself – Mayo Clinic