Family Caregiver Society of BC

Family Caregivers Society of British Columbia began in 1989 as the Family Caregivers’ Network Society, a not-for-profit registered charity dedicated 100% to supporting family caregivers – the first organization of its kind in Canada. A family caregiver is anyone who cares for an adult family member or friend because of disease, disability or frailty due to ageing. In 2010 we took on the provincial champion role after the Caregivers Association of BC closed its doors. We transitioned to our new public name in 2014 to better reflect serving family caregivers across the province. We refreshed our logo and kept the image of a hand, an enduring representation of the care we offer each other.

Our Mission:

To inform, support and educate to improve quality of life for family caregivers.  The society provides leadership to strengthen the voice of family caregivers and promotes the significance of the family caregivers’ role.

Our Vision:

All family caregivers are recognized, valued and supported.

Our One Big Goal:

To make family caregiver a household name by 2018.

Our Programs – 3 Pillars:

1.  Direct support to family caregivers

• Caregiver Support Line 1-877-520-3267 for 1-1 emotional support, help navigating the health care system, referral to community organizations
• 1-1 coaching
• Support groups
• Newsletter with timely articles
• Virtual resource website

2.  Education for family caregivers and health professionals

• Educational webinars/teleworkshops, in person workshops
• Learning materials
• Lunch and Learns sessions for employees
• Support group facilitator training

3.  Caregiver Engagement and Health Sector Collaboration

• Putting the voice of family caregivers into health system improvement efforts
• Collaborating at local, regional and provincial levels

Our services help family caregivers build skills, reduce stress and enhance quality of life. We believe in the power of social networks and that no one needs to care alone.

We know that the contributions of family caregivers dwarf the contributions of our formal health system, and yet they remain widely unacknowledged and unsupported. We’re working to change that. We believe in collaborative and collective action to influence health policy and practice and to that end participate in provincial, regional and local forums.

In the face of disease, disability and ageing, it is our family members and friends who provide over 80% of the care required. Today in BC there are about 1 million family caregivers. Our role is to focus on the well-being of this growing group in society. We are here to help.