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“...the work-related needs of cancer survivors have been insufficiently addressed in the continuum of cancer care…” – January 2011, by Patricia Nitkin, Maureen Parkinson & Izabela Z. Schultz. University of British Columbia, British Columbia Cancer Agency. Click to go.

“We are in debt so far that I do not sleep at night and am paralyzed by fear that recurrence or metastases will make us bankrupt.”

– Breast cancer patient’s comment, published in Canadian Breast Cancer Network’s 2010 report on the economic impact of breast cancer.
Click to go.

The Canadian Cancer Society commissioned Pollara to conduct a poll to determine the potential impact of caring for an ill family member. Just over 2,200 people were polled, with 37% living in Ontario, 25% in Quebec, 13% in BC, 10% in Alberta, and the remainder in the rest of the country. Some of the findings:

• 20% of the sample reported providing unpaid care within the past 12 months;
• 28% said that if they became responsible for caregiving, they wouldn't be able to take any time off work;
  
• 25% said they didn't know if they could take any time;
• nearly half said they wouldn't be able to afford professional care;
• 88% said having to provide unpaid caregiving support would have a negative impact on their overall financial situation;
• 84% agreed that providing increased financial support should be a priority health care issue debated in the next federal election.

Dan Demers, director of public issues for CCS, had this to say about the poll: "We urge the government to pay attention to the clear messages being send by Canadians and to include more financial support for family caregivers in the upcoming federal budget." Press release: www.cancer.ca/Canada-wide/About%20us/Media%20centre/CW-Media%20releases/CW-2011/Caregiver%20Poll.aspx?sc_lang=en