Supporting family carers: Identifying the role of a provincial organization in the context of regionalization

Abstract

Family members caring for a frail, depressed, or cognitively impaired senior play an important role in our health care system. However, they require support in this role. Family support groups have emerged as an important means of providing this reinforcement. In British Columbia, the Caregivers Association of BC (CABC) played an active role during the mid-1990s in facilitating the development of a network of support groups across the province. The purpose of this study is to explore, through an intensive community consultation process, how these groups are faring within the context of health care regionalization.