Session Description

Family caregivers play a central role in enabling care at home, yet they are too often invisible in how services are designed, coordinated, and delivered. This session explores how organizations can move beyond viewing caregivers as informal supports and instead recognize them as essential partners in delivering high-quality, integrated care. 

Drawing on Alberta's Family Caregiver Strategy and insights from multi-sector collaboration involving providers, leaders, and caregivers, presenters will examine how caregiver exclusion contributes to fragmented care, communication gaps, and missed opportunities to improve outcomes. Participants will explore practical strategies for identifying and documenting caregivers, involving them in care planning and decision-making, and strengthening collaboration through person- and caregiver-centred models of care. The session will also address common implementation challenges, including consent, privacy, role clarity, and workforce readiness, and share practical examples of how organizations are overcoming them. 

Designed for senior leaders, program managers, and home and community care providers, this session offers practical tools and real-world lessons that can be adapted across a variety of care settings. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to strengthen care coordination, improve experiences for caregivers and care teams alike, and embed caregiver partnership into everyday practice.