There is an invisible army in Quebec. They sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to answer a call. They reorganize their careers, vacations, and relationships around the needs of a loved one. They do all of this out of love — quietly, often without asking for help, often without even recognizing themselves in the word “caregiver.”
They are called family caregivers. And November is dedicated to them.
At Alliance Santé — Home Support Services, we work alongside these men and women every week. This article is dedicated to them — and to everyone who wants to support them.
Who Are Family Caregivers in Quebec?
A family caregiver is any person who regularly and unpaid provides significant support to a family member or friend with a functional limitation related to age, illness, disability, or addiction.
Family caregivers are everywhere:
The adult son who does his mother’s grocery shopping every Saturday
The wife who has cared for her husband with Alzheimer’s for ten years
The sister who manages her brother’s medications and medical appointments
The daughter who calls her father alone every morning to check he is well
In Quebec, the number of family caregivers is estimated at over one million. Their economic contribution is equivalent to several billion dollars of unpaid care each year.
What Family Caregivers Carry
Physically
Caregiving is physically demanding. Helping a person get up, move, or bathe requires considerable and repeated physical effort. Back injuries are common. Sleep deprivation is frequent, especially when care includes nighttime monitoring.
Emotionally
Watching a loved one lose their abilities is an ongoing grief experience. Sadness, anger, helplessness, guilt — family caregivers navigate a complex and contradictory range of emotions, often without space to express them.
Professionally
Many caregivers reduce their working hours, decline promotions, take unpaid leave, or leave their jobs entirely to provide care. These sacrifices have long-term financial consequences — notably on retirement contributions.
Socially
Caregiving encroaches on social life. Outings are cancelled, friendships erode, personal activities disappear. The social isolation of caregivers is a reality as concerning as that of the people they care for.
What Research Shows About Caregiver Burnout
The data is alarming:
Nearly 40% of family caregivers show clinical symptoms of depression
One in five caregivers reports having neglected their own physical health
The life expectancy of chronic caregivers is significantly reduced compared to the general population
Caregivers are twice as likely to develop chronic illnesses
These figures are not meant to discourage caregiving — they are meant to highlight the importance of adequate support.
Resources Available for Family Caregivers in Quebec
L’Appui pour les proches aidants
L’Appui is a Quebec organization dedicated to supporting family caregivers. Their website (lappui.org) offers extensive resources: information, online training, support groups, and personalized accompaniment.
Les proches aidants de la Montérégie
This regional organization offers direct services to caregivers in our region: discussion groups, respite, training, individual accompaniment. A valuable ally for the families we support.
CLSCs and Social Workers
A CLSC social worker can assess the caregiver’s situation and direct them toward appropriate resources — including respite services.
Leave for Family Caregivers
The Act respecting labour standards allows employees to take unpaid leave without job loss to care for a loved one. Ask your employer or the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST).
Alliance Santé: Professional Respite
Our respite services allow the caregiver to rest — a few hours, a weekend, a few weeks — while a qualified worker takes over. This respite is not a luxury. It is a medical necessity.
How to Recognize and Support a Caregiver in Your Circle
If someone in your life plays this role, here are concrete ways to show your support:
What truly helps:
Offer something specific rather than “Call me if you need anything” (few caregivers call)
Take on a specific task without them having to ask
Give them a few hours of respite by looking after the loved one yourself
Invite them out, to relax, without talking about the loved one during that time
Listen without minimizing or offering advice
What doesn’t help:
“I don’t know how you do it, I wouldn’t be able to” (this isolates)
“You should rest more” without concretely offering how
Gradually disappearing because the situation is difficult
A Message to All Caregivers Reading This
You are doing something extraordinary, often in silence and without recognition. November is the month when we say loudly: what you do matters. You matter.
Taking care of yourself is not a luxury. It is a necessity — for you and for the person you support.
Alliance Santé is here to support you. Call us to talk about your needs, to plan respite, or simply to be heard.
*Alliance Santé — Home Support Services | alliancesante.ca | Saint-Hyacinthe, Montérégie*
Alliance Santé — alliancesante.ca — Saint-Hyacinthe, Montérégie