"Being an Essential Care Partner is not just about providing support—it's about being a patient's voice when they have none, their advocate when they are vulnerable, and their guide through the medical system. Recognizing and including caregivers in the care team is not just beneficial—it's essential to delivering truly patient-centered care."
- Chloë Boilard, Senior Patient Partner at The Ottawa Hospital
Caregivers provide an estimated 75 per cent of the care in the system. For patients, they play a key role improving health outcomes and reducing pressure on health human resources: organizing medications, clarifying information with the care team, and coordinating follow-up care.
When recognized, a caregiver's unique insights on a patient's medical history and other needs can ensure more human-centered, culturally affirming care, improving the experience for providers, too.
That's why essential care partner programs exist: to formally recognize caregivers for their role, so they can be identified, included, and supported as essential partners on the care team.
To facilitate this recognition and support consistently across their settings, several Ottawa and Ottawa region hospitals, including Queensway Carleton Hospital, The Royal, The Ottawa Hospital, Bruyère Health, Montfort Hospital, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and Cornwall Community Hospital, have collaborated to enhance and align their essential care partner programs.
Inspired by the lived experiences of Patient and Family Advisors—including Chloë Boilard and Julie Cyr from The Ottawa Hospital—who not only proposed this collaboration but co-designed resources for it, this partnership aims to break down barriers and create a more seamless approach to caregiver inclusion.
Why This Matters
- Consistency – A standardized Care Partner ID improves access and continuity of care.
- Alignment – Common training ensures caregivers are prepared and supported.
- Better Health Outcomes – Integrating caregivers enhances patient care and staff confidence.
At the Ontario Caregiver Organization's Learning Collaborative (an interactive forum for health care organizations focused on caregiver inclusion) in Ottawa on December 4, 2024, they shared the results, including key takeaways like the critical role of clear communication and the positive impact of training.
Early lessons learned through collaboration between Ottawa hospitals on caregiver inclusion highlight the need for clear communication, flexible policy and process design, and ongoing training to enhance the impact of the program. Including caregivers strengthens relationships and builds confidence for patients, families, and staff. As the Ottawa hospitals continue to refine and strengthen their program, they hope to meet annually to share best practices and maintain alignment.
As our population ages and more Ontarians are projected to live with major illness (3.1 million adults by 2040, up from 1.8 million in 2020), the need for caregivers will only grow. Over the next 5 years, the number of Ontarians providing physical or emotional support to a family member, partner, friend, or neighbour could increase by more than 50% (from 4 to 6.5 million people), making the work to advance caregiver inclusion today key to advancing a more supportive and inclusive health care system for all tomorrow.
"Collaboration is critical. Teamwork makes the dream work as [essential care partner] development is at the core of the patient experience. Thank you to the support hub for moving this great work forward."
- Program manager, Ontario Health Team
What's Next?
This collaboration sets the stage for a more connected and caregiver-friendly health care system. Through the Essential Care Partner Support Hub, organizations get access to the support they need to drive this change, and recognize caregivers as essential members of the care team.
Feeling inspired but not sure where to start? We'll help you build a tailored plan for your organization; connect with our team today.
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