Unambiguous Clarity
Caregivers as the backbone of the healthcare system Through COVID 19 glasses, the invisible glue holding our fragile health care system together became unambiguously clear. I’m talking about the informal care teams, disguised as ‘family’ and ‘caregivers’. Their contributions have been unsung and sometimes even seen as obtrusive until now. Shame on us for needing a global pandemic to see their true value. At home, in hospital, in long-term care settings, family caregivers are hard at work. They fill the gaps between the visits and support from the busy paid personnel; PSWs, nurses, doctors, occupational and physical therapists. Not only do their charities provide respite for the formal care team, but they also translate the standard, ‘cookie-cutter’ care approach into something that works for that specific person. The stuff that improves the person’s experience of the illness, while the biology of the illness is being tended to by the healthcare professionals on the team.