We're taking a deep dive into home care in N.L. Here's why

For some people, a little help — or a lot of it — is needed to manage living in their home.

But getting or providing that care isn't always easy.

The new CBC series Concerning Care takes a closer look at those navigating home and respite care in Newfoundland and Labrador. Their stories are diverse. Some can't find support workers. Others face hurdles as caregivers or grapple with an unclear future for long-term placement.

But their stories all have one thing in common: struggle.

For Kelly Piercey of Brigus Junction, it began when her father died and her mother's advancing dementia meant she needed more help.

Piercey sought support workers, but couldn't find any, so she jumped into action herself — until she simply couldn't do it anymore.

"The hardest and the toughest decision of my life was when I had to bring [my mother] into long-term care," said Piercey.

"I've heard stories. But until you're in there, until you sit out in that parking lot and you realize that, 'I'm not taking her home today, I'm leaving her here,' it's not a good feeling."

The term "home care" refers to any care provided to a person that enables them to continue living at home.

It might be provided to a person with a chronic illness or disability, someone who recovers from health issues or an older adult.

Respite care, on the other hand, provides relief to families by temporarily taking over care responsibilities, so the usual caregiver, most often a family member, can take a break.

Our province is aging, and fast

According to 2021 Census data released in April, Newfoundland and Labrador has Canada's oldest population. While 19 per cent of people nationally are over 65, that number is 23.6 per cent for the provincial population.

These statistics mean that many people in the province are in a similar situation as Piercey — like Ari Rochester of St. John's.

Rochester, who uses the pronouns they and them, agreed to take care of their mother when she started showing signs of Alzheimer's.

"I was aware that people with dementia function better and for a longer period of time if they were in familiar surroundings," said Rochester.

"So moving her didn't seem like a particularly good option."

But Rochester struggled with the burden that comes with being a caregiver, deteriorating mentally themselves — until they reached a breaking point.

Better access to long-term mental health care for caregivers is needed, says Rochester, to ensure they are able to provide care but also receive it themselves if wanted.

Fear of separation

For other people in the province, the issue isn't home care — it's what might await them when they're forced to leave their home.

One of them is 74-year-old Cecil Whitten, who has cerebral palsy. Whitten and his wife, who has spina bifida, live in their own home in St. John's.

What will happen when that's no longer possible, they don't know.

"Our concern is, basically, that where one partner is at, at the moment, a different level of care than the other one … we would be separated," said Whitten.

Workers struggle, too

While it's the families of Whitten, Rochester and Piercey who are at the centre of home and respite care struggles, there is another group of people right there with them — home support workers.

It's a field of work that involves many challenging tasks but is often forgotten about, says Jerry Earle, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees.

"This is a big component of health care and they've got to be recognized as [that]," said Earle.

He said lack of respect is only one of the problems with home and respite care that need to be fixed.

Over the next few weeks, Concerning Care will tell the stories of the people introduced here, along with others, on various platforms — including on Here and Now, the CBC N.L. website and on the radio.

If you have a story to share, contact us at care-struggles@cbc.ca.

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