UNPAID FAMILY CAREGIVING

Families in rural communities are carrying a heavy, often invisible load in the unregulated toxic drug crisis. At Cool Family Solutions, our 10‑week program is designed to support those unpaid family caregivers—parents, partners, siblings, and friends—who are doing their best with limited resources and very little recognition. The research below highlights just how critical family caregiving is, and why strengthening the whole family system is at the heart of our work.

Research Findings for People Who Use Drugs in Rural Western Canada January 2026

Quick Key Points

1. Since 2016, nearly 54,000 Canadians have died from drug poisoning ( sometimes called overdose)

2. When services are hard to access, families and friends often fill the gap by providing unpaid support ( also called caregiving)

3. Caregiving is critical to the functioning of the healthcare systerm and provides estimated $98 billion in annual savings ( even more prevalent in rural communities where access to formal health care can be limited

4. Significant Rural areas affected in AB, SASK, MAN - impacted by unregulated toxic drug crisis - 14,300 have died from drug-regulated death since 2016

Barriers

1. Losgistical Challenges

2. Program design and appropriateness

3. Transitional and Follow-Up

4. Community Barriers

5. Personal Barriers

6. Other issues - lack of housing, not enough beds for treatments, wait lists long, stigma/shame

Impact on the Caregiver and Beyond

1. Emotional and Mental Strain

2. Physical Toll

3. Financial Hardship

4. Work Conflicts

5. Social Challenges

6. Plus many more challenges

Conclusion

" The unregulated toxic drug crisis has deeply impacted rural communties, forcing families to become unpaid caregivers. An urgent and comprehensive response to this public health issue must recognize and address the unique needs of rural communities and families. This response should focus on wide-scale change that reduces the need for unpaid care, restore public services in rural settings, and provide adequate psychosocial and financial support for families."

For more information about UNPAID FAMILY CAREGIVING, contact Holly Mathias, University of Alberta - hmathias@ualberta.ca

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

Understanding the Family as a System - H Dan Smith, EdD, MFT

He viewed the family as a "system" http://smith.soehd.csufresno.edu/system.html

" Family System functions because it is an unit, and every family member plays a critical, if not unique role in the system. As such, it is not possible that one member of the system can change without causing a ripple of change throughout the family system."

This statement resonated with me, ESPECIALLY ME! I realized as a mother I had to change my approach so others felt heard and understood. When our family were facing challenges, I was grateful for this document that helped our family to have a clearer perspective of how our family system needed us to work together as an unit to have a collaborative strength-based team when faced with multiple challenges. TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE!

"Therapy from the systems view requires a broader perspective of the family than merely identifying the troublemaker(s) and persuading them to change,. The family must be ready and willing to look at what we as members of the system must to together to improve relations in the household rather than what any individual must do." Quote in the document by H Dan Smith, EdD, MFT

We all learn from each other by having a community sharing experiences of success and how to change what is not working. Share your experience with Mona.

#View Family as a System

#To address Challenges

#Unpaid Family Caregivers

#Unregulated Toxic Drug Crisis

#Impacting Communities

Mona Cooley - mona.cooley@coolfamilysolutions.co,

403.512.5558