inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf

inspiring canadians to live better.

healthing leaf
mosquito-borne diseases affect up to 700 million people each year. learn more
powered by: valneva canada inc.
home / caregivers

watch: why aren't caregivers recognized as valuable 2022年世界杯预选赛比分表re?

in the second part of 'health talk with dr. nowak,' caregiver advocates maggie keresteci and terrence ho discuss why caregiving is critical to good health outcomes.

by lisa machado

jul 27 2022
read time 2 minute read
join the conversation
there are some stories that we can count on to generate a lot of feedback from readers.
first-person pieces about resilience and recovery are sure to result in emails and tweets from readers sharing their own experiences, and those of people they know, as do expert studies on disease treatments and symptom information. of course, anything about covid, masks and vaccines can also be counted on to fill up our in-boxes.
but there is one topic that treads on the lines of multiple emotions and opinions — strong opinions — and that is the issue of caregiving. so many of us have had experience caring for someone, are caring for someone now or supporting someone who is, and well, judging from the many letters,  tweets and comments on facebook we receive every day, caregivers need help.

so i was thrilled to have the opportunity to host a discussion between health advocate and family physician dr. dominik nowak, and caregiver advocates maggie keresteci and terrence ho about the value of caregiver engagement. it was the second part of a three-part healthing series called ‘health talk with dr. nowak — in june, we tackled the complicated and daunting issue of communicating with your doctor , and in august, we will be looking at how to take care of your mental health during times of crisis ( register here ).

related stories

dr. dominik nowak on how to make the most of time with your doctor
in the first of three in the 'health talk with dr. nowak series,' lisa machado talks to family physician and telus health chief medical advisor dr. dominik nowak and advocate teri price about how to navigate tricky patient/doctor dynamics.
'conversations about omicron, covid-19, vaccinations and boosters have become among the most important encounters i have each day,' says dr. dominik nowak. supplied

i am a doctor. here's what my patients are talking to me about
omicron is not always mild, vaccinations and boosters are the most important layer of protection, and no, health care is not on pause.
health professionals are here for you through the wave. getty

advertisement

in unpacking the complex role of caregiving, dr. nowak explores the importance of caregivers, saying that their involvement in care can be a matter of “life or death.” keresteci pushes back on the whole notion of what ‘self-care’ means for a caregiver, saying that caregiver support needs to be about “more than a yoga class or a cup of tea.” and ho, a caregiver since the age of 10, talks about how after almost three decades of caring for his younger brother, he has only just started feeling like he is getting the support he needs as a caregiver and the recognition he deserves from health-care providers.
there’s clearly a lot of work to be done to recognize the value of caregivers and caregiving. but it’s discussions like this one that will help bring us closer to a health-care system in which including caregivers on care teams is an unspoken must-have and not an afterthought.

register for the last discussion in the ‘health talk with dr. nowak’ series to learn more about how to protect your mental health during times of times of crisis .

 
don’t miss a thing: sign-up for healthing’s newsletter
thank you for your support. if you liked this story, please send it to a friend. every share counts. 
powered by
canadian centre for caregiving excellence
lisa machado
lisa machado

lisa machado began her journalism career as a financial reporter with investor's digest and then rogers media. after a few years editing and writing for a financial magazine, she tried her hand at custom publishing and then left to launch a canadian women's magazine with a colleague. after being diagnosed with a rare blood cancer, lisa founded the canadian cml network and shifted her focus to healthcare advocacy and education.

read more about the author

comments

postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. we ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. we have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. visit our community guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.

you may also like
france carbonneau and rick livingstone posing for a photo while bike riding
how i care for osteoarthritis: ‘it’s disappointing at the time, but there’s not anger'
healthcare workers sitting in a modern hospital, low angle
who are our nurses? a look into canada’s types of nurses and what they do
ashley and kari murphy
how i care for hiv: instilling values through unconditional love   
stressed frustrated nurse thinking about patient she lost in surgery
who’s caring for canada’s caregivers?
profile picture pf interior designer joy wile.
how investment in caregivers builds stronger, healthier community: 'your whole life totally changes'
you may also like
france carbonneau and rick livingstone posing for a photo while bike riding
how i care for osteoarthritis: ‘it’s disappointing at the time, but there’s not anger'
healthcare workers sitting in a modern hospital, low angle
who are our nurses? a look into canada’s types of nurses and what they do
ashley and kari murphy
how i care for hiv: instilling values through unconditional love   
stressed frustrated nurse thinking about patient she lost in surgery
who’s caring for canada’s caregivers?
you may also like
france carbonneau and rick livingstone posing for a photo while bike riding
how i care for osteoarthritis: ‘it’s disappointing at the time, but there’s not anger'
healthcare workers sitting in a modern hospital, low angle
who are our nurses? a look into canada’s types of nurses and what they do