[Report] Spotlight on Ontario Caregivers

The Ontario Caregiver Organization released their 2025 Spotlight Report in December, revealing key findings on how Ontario’s caregivers are doing. Nearly three out of four caregivers are unsure how they will continue, highlighting a system that is pushing caregivers to the brink. Though this report is focused on caregivers living and caring in Ontario, the stats and data are reflective of similar situations in British Columbia, Alberta, and across the nation.

Caregivers continue to report high levels of burnout with 68% saying they have reached their breaking point. Last year, 28% stopped or reduced their caregiving role because of the stress associated with it and another 18% say they needed to stop but couldn’t because there was no one else to step in. When caregivers stop providing care, the impacts are felt by them, the person they care for, our healthcare system, and beyond.

More than two thirds of caregivers expect their role to become harder in the next few years. For 30%, it’s because they will lose help from other family members who are unavailable or who are aging and can no longer help, or because they can no longer afford paid assistance. Caregivers are often advised to build their ‘circle of care’ so they don’t have to do it alone, but these support structures are weakening. As this support erodes, caregivers will carry even more of the workload alone, a responsibility they simply can’t sustain.

Read the full report, attached below.