Message from Board Chair and CEO
This past year was one like no other. COVID-19 forced us all to change how we live, work and care for one another. Prior to the pandemic, caregivers told us they were struggling to cope; they felt isolated, alone and worried about their own mental health. The pandemic not only highlighted what we already knew but created new challenges for Ontario’s 3.3 million caregivers, including reduced programs and services in the community, challenges in seeing the person they care for, and province-wide stay-at-home measures which left caregivers feeling even more isolated and alone.
In response, the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) quickly pivoted to offer pandemic specific resources: a new peer support program, enhancements to our helpline, a dedicated website for young caregivers, educational webinars, podcasts, tip sheets and more, so caregivers, as well as organizations that support them, had quick access to free support.
OCO’s pandemic response and ongoing work was fueled by the collaboration of OCO’s caregiver partners and advisors who shared their insights and worked with us to create these new resources. The contributions of our caregiver partners also enabled meaningful dialogue between OCO and the provincial government, and with health care leaders across the province, as OCO amplified caregiver voices and shared their insights. It also enabled, in select hospitals and long term care homes, the uptake of programs like OCO’s Partners in Care pandemic toolkit and Caregiver ID prior to the second wave.
We know the sheer weight of the pandemic on caregivers has been immense. Whether caring for someone in the home, hospital or long-term care, the challenges have been significant. Many of us have lost family members and friends during this time and have not been able to connect, care and grieve in familiar ways. It is important for us to acknowledge the loss of our colleague and friend, Cathy Fooks, Patient Ombudsman and prior CEO of The Change Foundation. Cathy’s passing continues to be felt across the health care system. Her voice and passion were an inspiration and influenced the lives of many caregivers, patient partners and health care leaders. Cathy championed the vision for OCO and was a critical partner in the organization’s start up. The Ontario Caregiver Organization will continue to evolve Cathy’s legacy work, so all caregivers feel valued and supported in their role, and that organizations engage caregivers in a meaningful way.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to our caregiver partners who have made it possible for OCO to deliver meaningful programs and services and to our system partners for your support and collaboration. These have been and continue to be uncertain times, we are very grateful to all caregivers who are supporting their family members, friends or neighbours.
We invite you to read through our annual report to learn more about how OCO is supporting caregivers and how our programs and services have made an impact to their lives.
Sincerely,
Janet Beed, Board Chair
Amy Coupal, CEO
