National Caregiver Day

April 7th is National Caregiver Day.

We would like to honour the crucial work that all caregivers do: emotionally and physically supporting their loved ones or patients in daily tasks, recovery, advocacy, personal care, medical care, companionship, and so much more.

What you do does not go unnoticed. We appreciate your hard work, and we also recognize that acknowledgement and appreciation only go so far. Words fall short when you aren’t feeling supported, feel burnt out, feel lost, don’t know where to start, are experiencing mental health concerns, etc. 

You’re not alone. We’re here for you, and we want you to have access to the information, connection and support you need and deserve. 

The National Initiative for Eating Disorders (NIED) is here for you:

Our website is filled with information, including our initial point of connection program, a caregiver resource guide, a crisis readiness tool for caregivers, live and recorded webinars, support groups, ways to get involved, a blog, and much more. 

Here are some current and upcoming events and groups we are running, as well as some resources:

(For more information on the following events and groups, please go to nied.ca/events - reminder that all groups are a drop-in format, you may join a group at any time)

Today (April 7th), we are hosting a free Lunch & Learn webinar at 12:00 pm EDT: Coping and Caring as a Young Caregiver: Strengths, Challenges, and Pathways for Support. If it’s too late, look out for when the recording will be posted in our webinar hub!

We also hold a monthly Male Caregiver Support Group facilitated by Dr. Blake Woodside. The next session is tomorrow, April 8th, from 4:00 - 5:30 pm EDT.

The Caring for the Caregiver Support Group, facilitated by Anita Pudlik, MSW., also meets this month on April 21st from 7:00 - 8:00 pm EDT.

For caregivers of those with an eating disorder, we have an Initial Point of Connection Program where you can find help with resources, information, guidance, professional support, etc. If this is something that interests you or that you would like more information about, please click here or contact Wendy Preskow at 416-859-7571 or email Wendy at wendy@nied.ca. 

The Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) 

The OCO is filled with incredible resources for caregivers, providing lots of information on tools for caregivers for specific health conditions, as well as managing care. These resources include information on work/life balance, emergency planning, and financial support. They also have a helpline and a Supporting Caregiver Awareness, Learning and Empowerment (SCALE) program, where they offer free counselling (individual or group), psychoeducational webinars - which, if you are unable to attend, are offered as recorded sessions that you can access at any time. They also offer workbooks that come with resources, toolkits and more.

The OCO is also hosting an event to celebrate National Caregiver Day, taking place online today (April 7th) from 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. EDT. If it’s not too late by the time you’re reading this, click this link to register.

The National Eating Disorder Information Centre is another great place to learn and get more general information about different eating disorders, eating disorder care for people in specific communities (such as 2SLGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and BIPOC communities), help for yourself or someone else, ways to get involved, a helpline, and so much more. 

They have a page specifically made for caregivers and loved ones that you may find helpful and informative that you can find here.

Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders (F.E.A.S.T.) is an international organization that offers peer support where you can connect with other caregivers and even be a part of the mentorship program or online forums, join support groups, learn more about eating disorders and how they might be affecting your loved one, as well as ways to get involved through volunteer opportunities. 

We hope that you have found at least some of this information to be helpful, and we hope to see you in our group sessions and at our upcoming events!

Remember, although caregivers are often described as selfless, you’re human too. You have needs, worries, limits, fears, and emotions, and you deserve care too. While caregiving often involves putting others first, it also requires strength, boundaries and support. It’s okay to seek support and lean on others; you don’t have to do this alone.