According to a report produced in 2018 by the Change Foundation, 21% of family caregivers take part in medical procedures such as changing G tubes, changing wound dressings and giving injections. But actual training on how to do these procedures is spotty at best.As a registered practical nurse who’s worked in community care the last ten years, Elise Stevenson has encountered a lot of families who struggle with these tasks. “I get to spend up to an hour with them if I’m lucky,” she says. “But I’m not there at two in the morning when they need help.”
Elise is part of a team at Saint Elizabeth Foundation that’s developed Elizz CareChannel, a website that’s home to a series of short, practical videos that teach family caregivers a whole host of hands-on care skills, from how to take care of a catheter to how to wash someone’s hair in bed to how to prevent bed sores. Other videos on Elizz CareChannel explain how to look after someone with a particular condition, like diabetes or dementia. Still others explore generic caregiving skills, like taking care of your own health, talking with health professionals, and being a patient care advocate.
There are about 100 videos in all. Almost all of them run under four minutes. Many videos are accompanied by a care guide that dives deeper into the topic at hand.
The videos and guides are currently available in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Punjabi. They’ve been reviewed by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion to make sure they’re inclusive of the First Nation, Inuit and Métis, Francophone, Hispanic, Chinese, and South Asian communities.
Elizz CareChannel was developed in partnership with the Ontario Caregiver Coalition, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, Near North Palliative Care Network, and Hospice Toronto.
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