Left on Read: Caregiving burdens in Canadian BIPOC Families
By Soukaina Ouizzane
Sitting in front of my computer, always with one earbud in and the camera off. Ready to momentarily leave my Zoom class whenever my grandmother needs me. Part of me is relieved that no one could see my exhaustion through the heavy layers of my concealer. All of me is severely preoccupied with my grandmother’s rapid cognitive decline. In fact, the entire family is affected by the emotional, physical, and financial strains of caregiving. As in the majority of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) family caregivers, our caregiving experience differs significantly from that of White caregivers. There is however a critical lack of representation of our experiences and needs in current Canadian policies, which is primarily due to insufficient research on race-based differences in health and financial outcomes of caregiving. Our struggles have been seen, but not acted upon.
Like in most immigrant families, moving our older relatives into a retirement residence or nursing home only happens when it becomes a necessity. Indeed, our elderly generally play a vital role in the well-being of the family. They often are the ones waiting for us at the school gate. They provide us comfort through the preparation of meals from our homeland. They teach us how to alleviate several ailments with traditional plants. Caring for them in return is a given.
However, as much as caregiving can be a rewarding experience, it is often accompanied by negative outcomes, which unfortunately vary by ethnicity. While the high demands of caregiving affect all demographics, research has suggested that the impact of caregiving may be higher in BIPOC caregivers compared to White caregivers.
The issue at hand is that race-based differences in caregivers’ health and financial burdens remain largely unknown in Canada. The vast majority of our current evidence on that area comes from American studies. For instance, according to a meta-analysis of 116 studies, BIPOC caregivers experience worse health outcomes than White caregivers. It also revealed that BIPOC caregivers have on average lower access to supportive systems than White caregivers. Furthermore, a study led by McCann et al. showed that on average Black caregivers spend 12.8 hours more per week on caregiving responsibilities than White caregivers. Thus, by providing more care to their family members, Black caregivers are most certainly subjected to a higher risk of negative health outcomes. Lastly, a 2012 qualitative study conducted by Reinhard et al. reported that Black and Hispanic BIPOC caregivers felt that their needs were disregarded by the medical staff and that they were often left out of important discussions about the health status of their family members.
In Canada, although caregivers represent 25% of the population, little research has been conducted to determine whether caregiving disproportionately affects minorities in terms of health and finances. For example, in terms of differential health outcomes, a 2021 Canadian study has found that Indigenous caregivers had a higher likelihood of poor overall health compared to caregivers of Canadian ancestry. Moreover, there is also limited data in Canada on the ethnic composition of such a large proportion of the population. In the US, a 2015 report has found that almost half of caregivers identify as BIPOC individuals. Through the high level of evidence produced by the US and several other countries, Canadian policymakers are aware of these potential differences but minimal efforts are exerted to evaluate them in the Canadian context.
As previously mentioned, the financial strains of Canadian BIPOC caregivers are also terribly under-studied. One could argue that their financial burden is higher than that of White caregivers, given that BIPOC caregivers generally have a lower socio-economic status than their White counterparts. BIPOC caregivers also face important financial challenges that are not experienced by White caregivers. For example, unlike eligible White caregivers, immigrants who sponsor (a) family member(s) to become a Canadian permanent resident cannot receive caregiving benefits, such as the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, until the end of the 10-year sponsorship.
This deplorable lack of data on race-based differences in health and financial outcomes of caregiving increases the likelihood of creating policies that do not reflect the needs of BIPOC caregivers. It represents a lost opportunity to use crucial knowledge to the improvement of the well-being of individuals in these communities. More importantly, failing to take into account the experiences of BIPOC caregivers has the potential to further marginalize our most vulnerable communities. Through well-designed surveys and interviews, policymakers should inquire about the unique experience of racialized caregivers in order to provide services and resources that are suited to all Canadians. They should also frequently reassess the needs of family caretakers throughout the course of caregiving as its needs are constantly evolving and progressively becoming more complex.
Admittedly, collecting data on vulnerable populations is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is critical to surveil individuals who are at most risk of developing health and financial issues. On the other hand, several ethical issues could arise from conducting research on vulnerable populations. However, this could be greatly minimized by building and sustaining trust with these communities, obtaining informed consent, and limiting the data collection to what is required. It could also be minimized by assembling a diverse and culturally competent research team that will mirror the interests of vulnerable populations.
It is projected that the population of Canadians over 65 years old will increase by more than half a million people by 2028. Therefore, we will need to change the way we care about our seniors as the fallouts will only be on already-burdened family caregivers. Taking into account a wide range of perspectives in the design of new policies will create desirable interventions and in turn ensure the well-being of all Canadian caregivers. In brief, there is a paramount need for studies on race-based differences in health and financial outcomes of caregiving. It is time for Canadian policymakers to recognize the plurality, legitimacy, and importance of the unique experiences of our BIPOC caregivers.
Acknowledgments:
We want to thank Dr. Ananya Tina Banerjee for encouraging her students to write and sharing this opinion article with us.
About the Author:
Soukaina is currently pursuing a master's degree in Public Health at McGill University. She is a strong advocator for health equity and social justice. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming and learning new languages