Underfunded: Quebec family caregivers devastated by service cuts

Caregivers cried on the phone when they learned that the psychosocial support they relied on would no longer be available due to a lack of adequate funding from Quebec. Proche aidance Québec is calling on the government to address this.

In an open letter published Thursday in CN2i newspapers, Proche aidance Québec, which brings together 150 community support organizations across the province, denounces the government’s inconsistency in reducing the amounts allocated to organizations while the needs continue to grow.

The provincial government has made efforts to better identify caregivers in its 2021-2026 Government Action Plan for Caregivers.

“The result of this first action plan is that we have raised awareness about recognizing caregivers and promoting self-recognition among caregivers, and therefore, also referring them to services,” explains Loriane Estienne, Executive Director of Proche aidance Québec, in an interview.

“We’re seeing an increase in demand for services from caregivers who are clearly in need. These are truly people who support others and enable their loved ones to remain at home. They are essential pillars in easing the burden on the healthcare system, among other things. This increase, which is logical with the introduction of a law and an action plan, means that demand will necessarily increase,” adds Estienne.

The increase in the need for informal care is also due to the aging population, as many informal caregivers care for a senior or someone with a neurocognitive disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease. If Quebec’s demographic trend continues, the number of informal caregivers could explode.

“Difficult choices had to be made”

A few weeks ago, Appui—a non-profit organization funded by the Quebec government with a mandate to support the deployment of services across Quebec—announced “historic financial support” of $25 million between 2025 and 2026 for services dedicated to caregivers across Quebec. In total, 285 projects, led by 232 community organizations and social economy enterprises, received funding.

The problem, explains Estienne, is that the demand was much greater than the funding provided by the government. “The total applications submitted as part of this call for projects totaled $40 million,” she explained. “Knowing that there was only $25 million available, difficult choices had to be made. This resulted in funding being denied to some organizations, which, for example, had had this funding for three, four, or sometimes 10 years. In other cases, there are a huge number of community organizations that were offered funding that was significantly less than what they had requested to fully carry out the project.”

The open letter mentions 600 caregivers in Lanaudière who have lost access to daytime respite services, meal delivery and psychological support.

At Maison Tournesols, an organization located on the South Shore of Montreal, since April 1st, caregivers can no longer benefit from psychological support in addition to the respite service, which continues to be provided.

Marie-Claude Richer, general manager of Maison Tournesols, says it was difficult to tell clients. “There were caregivers who cried during that call. […] We didn’t do this on March 31, we prepared them, but there were some who had to be contacted several times to equip them with other services, other places they could call, who they could talk to,” says Richer.

Aware of the economic context

A total of 147 people benefited from Maison Tournesols’ psychosocial support service last year, a figure that has remained stable for three years, since the service began offering itself. Caregivers could choose how often they wanted to speak, whether once a month or several times a week.

These interviews were very helpful to caregivers, says Richer, particularly in helping them feel less guilty about wanting a moment of respite, about letting their loved one go into the hands of others.

For those caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, for example, support allowed them to understand the changes in their loved one’s behavior and attitude.

“When it comes into our lives, ready or not, it’s gone. There are no courses, there’s no preparation for being a caregiver. We jump into it without wanting to, without seeing it coming,” emphasizes Richer.

Upon learning of the end of psychosocial support, many felt helpless. “We informed caregivers that we would no longer be able to offer this service, and the comment we received most often was, ‘But how am I going to do it?'” shares the organization’s director.

Maison Tournesols suffered a $62,000 cut from the $700,000 it received from the provincial government last year. “It may not seem like much, but in our operating budget, we can’t lose $62,000 without it showing up somewhere. So, we had to cut the service because we found out a few weeks in advance and we couldn’t find anyone among our generous donors willing to commit to this additional amount,” says Richer.

The executive director of Proche aidance Québec said she is aware of the current economic climate. The group is open to compromise, but urges the Legault government to find a solution.

Proche aidance Québec wants to sit down with L’Appui and the Ministry of Health and Social Services “to analyze the projects that were rejected or partially funded, and to identify those that were extremely relevant and effective.” Estienne also emphasizes the importance of ensuring long-term funding, because calls for projects have a beginning and an end, but the needs continue to grow.

—The Canadian Press’s health content is funded through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. Editorial choices are solely those of The Canadian Press.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews