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But at What Cost? Healthcare Utilization of Canadian Carer-Employees

Author

Listed:
  • Regina Ding

    (Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada)

  • Linda Duxbury

    (Sprott School of Business, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada)

Abstract

Caregiving plays a crucial role in aging societies by supporting individuals with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or aging-related needs. The unpaid labour provided by caregivers diverts healthcare resources from the formal healthcare system; however, this incurs costs to the caregivers themselves in terms of declines in personal wellbeing. This study explores the relationship between caregiving and healthcare spending for two groups of caregivers: eldercare only and sandwiched. We found that physician visits were the most common resource used by caregivers, at a mean of 3.69 (SD = 4.01) visits over a 6-month period, excluding non-users of this service. This was followed by mental health services (M = 5.86, SD = 7.02), emergency room visits (M = 1.77, SD = 1.38), and hospital admissions (M = 3.61, SD = 8.53). There were no significant differences in healthcare utilization between eldercare and sandwiched caregivers. There were mixed results regarding characteristics associated with greater resource use; however, the hours of weekly caregiving were most consistently associated with greater healthcare utilization, indicating that healthcare use may increase with care burden.

Suggested Citation

  • Regina Ding & Linda Duxbury, 2024. "But at What Cost? Healthcare Utilization of Canadian Carer-Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(12), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:12:p:1686-:d:1546748
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