Our Vision
A new vision for caregiver respite
Respite is essential for the men and women across Canada who provide care and assistance to family members and friends who need support.
The vision for Care Renewal began with the National Respite Care Study. The study's key finding was that respite is an outcome — something that can be experienced by caregivers. As stated in the study, "Respite is not a service, but an outcome, resulting from time off from caregiving responsibilities" (Canadian Association for Community Care, 1998).
The Care Renewal Caregiver Promise expresses our vision and beliefs for caregivers:
As a caregiver, you are the very heart of our caring society. We are here to ensure that the work you do is valued and recognized, and to support your personal need to realize yourself as a unique individual, not just as a caregiver.
You deserve to be heard. You need to be able to choose how you provide your care. Most importantly, you deserve the opportunity for respite so that you can develop your own personal life to its full potential.
We will achieve these goals in partnership with you.
Our current working definition of respite is:
"Respite refers to caregivers' experiences of relief or renewal. This relief or renewal can be physical, emotional, psychological, social, and/or spiritual. Respite results from services, activities and planning that are in place to support caregivers in maintaining their own health and creating more balance in their lives. Respite allows caregivers to improve their quality of life and be more involved in their community. It may also help family or friends that the caregiver supports to improve their quality of life and integration within the community." (Care Renewal, November 2004)