Letters to the Editor Unpaid caregiver grateful for new WA Cares Fund
Losing your independence is one of the hardest things that we all will have to deal with if we live long enough. Seventy percent of us will need some form of long-term care throughout our lives. It’s difficult to accept help with basic everyday tasks we are used to doing ourselves, like preparing meals, bathing and changing. Nobody should have to worry about paying for care on top of this challenge.
I became an unpaid family caregiver for my mother when she suffered from a stroke at age 63. I know firsthand that this can happen at any moment and suddenly you need someone to care for you.
I’m grateful for the WA Cares program that will begin in 2026. It provides a range of benefits, including home-care aides or care in a long-term facility. It also compensates family caregivers like myself, who do a substantial amount of unpaid care work. With WA Cares, I know that I will have help if the unthinkable happens to me like it did to my mother.
Christina Keys,
Vancouver
