Ontario Caregiver Organization
The Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) exists to support Ontario’s 3.3 million caregivers; ordinary people who provide physical and emotional support to a family member, partner, friend or neighbour.
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Ontario Caregiver Organization: One Point of Contact for Caregivers
July 2021 blog post written by the Ontario Caregiver Organization.
This past year was one like no other. COVID-19 forced us all to change how we live, work and care for one another. Prior to the pandemic, caregivers told us they were struggling to cope; they felt isolated, alone and worried about their own mental health. The pandemic not only highlighted what we already knew but created new challenges for Ontario’s 3.3 million caregivers, including reduced programs and services in the community, challenges in seeing the person they care for, and province-wide stay-at-home measures that were necessary to protect us all from COVID-19, but left caregivers feeling even more isolated and alone.
The Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) exists to support caregivers by being their one point of access to information, so they have what they need to be successful in their role. Working collaboratively with caregivers, healthcare providers and other organizations, OCO draws on the variety of work that is currently being done to ease caregiver burn-out and improve the caregiving experience. Our programs and services are developed in collaboration with caregivers, for caregivers.
Regardless of where you are in your caregiving journey, the OCO have a range of tools, information and support that can help. The following is a list of programs and services that are available, free of charge, to caregivers across the province.
24/7 Ontario Caregiver Helpline & Live Chat
- One place to go to find information and support in the community 1-833-416-2273 (CARE)
SCALE Program (Supporting Caregiver Awareness, Learning and Empowerment)
- Weekly webinars, online group coaching and one-on-one telephone counselling
OCO Webinar Series (online or by phone)
- Providing information on a range of topics including finances, privacy and caregiver wellness
- Past webinars can be found on our YouTube channel
Toolkits
- Including Caregiver Starter Kit and Work & Caregiving – A Balancing Act: Toolkit for Working Caregivers
- Including contingency planning, caregiver mental health and effective use of technology
- Connect with another caregiver and share experiences, challenges and solutions
- Connecting caregivers with similar lived experience on a weekly basis
- Self-directed courses for caregivers such as Caregiver 101 and Caregivers as Partners
- A website dedicated to help young caregivers aged 15-25, offers information and resources and ways to connect through an online forum
- Join host Michelle Jobin along with experts and caregivers, to discuss things that matter most to caregivers
Take the time to care for yourself. For more information, please visit ontariocaregiver.ca
Note: Program and services are available in French. Visit ontariocaregiver.ca/fr or call the Helpline for more information.