Caregivers from Caledon and Dufferin celebrated by Hills of Headwaters 

Written By ZACHARY ROMAN

Chances are, you or someone you know is an unpaid caregiver. 

According to Statistics Canada, more than 8.1 million Canadians are unpaid caregivers who provide mental, physical, or emotional support to a family member, friend, or neighbour. While so many Canadians are caregivers, they are not often recognized for the work they do. 

On June 25, the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team (HOHCOHT) hosted an appreciation day for unpaid caregivers at the Monora Park Pavilion in Mono. 

The event featured workshops for caregivers, speakers, complimentary lunch and refreshments, music, local vendors, and booths set up by various community organizations. 

The appreciation event was part of the HOHCOHT's Caregivers in the Hills program, which aims to provide support to, and validate the role of, unpaid caregivers in Dufferin and Caledon. 

Tracy Coffin, Executive Director of the HOHCOHT, explained that in 2020, the HOHCOHT collected recommendations from caregivers in the community to start its caregiver support program. One of the first things it did was create an identification badge program, where any caregiver can apply for a badge that will formally identify them as a caregiver. 

“When you're a caregiver, you go to a lot of medical appointments, a lot of social care appointments, and you have to tell your story over and over again,” said Coffin. “What the ID badge does… it lets the doctor,  nurse or whoever is working with the individual, know the person is a caregiver and will be able to help and become part of the care team.”

Another part of the Caregivers in the Hills program is a collaboration with local businesses.

When a caregiver shows their badge at a business that's partnered with the HOHCOHT, they can receive discounts. To see the list of businesses, or to apply for your own caregiver badge, those interested can visit caregiversinthehills.ca.

Coffin said caregiving is an often thankless job. She said it was so important to host an appreciation event as a way to say “way to go” and give the thanks to caregivers that they deserve.

“Caregivers are a critical part of our health care system and they're a critical part of the health care team,” said Coffin. “The work we do with Caregivers in the Hills is a way to identify them, appreciate them, and make sure they are able to support their loved ones as best they can.”

Having community partners with booths set up at the event was a way for the HOHCOHT to let caregivers know about all the different services there are in the community that could possibly help them. 

“I've worked in different parts of Ontario, I've worked in England, and I have to say this community is the most collaborative community I've ever come across,” said