Grant: Operating Grant

The Manitoba Metis Federation and the University of Manitoba want to look at the experiences of unpaid Metis caregivers of Metis seniors in the province to better understand what their lives are like. While we understand that there are many formal programs for seniors in the province, many of these formal programs rely on family members to provide back-up. In the past Metis lived together with large, extended families, sharing the responsibilities of elder care. Today, households are smaller. This means there are fewer people to take on the responsibility of elder care and insufficient supports necessary for Metis caregivers themselves to stay healthy. It is important for caregivers to be supported but we do not know of any formal, or informal, supports that exist to help caregivers. This research will be conducted throughout the province of Manitoba, consisting of discussion groups with unpaid Metis caregivers - two in each of the seven MMF Regions - as well as by interviews with program service providers and Metis seniors. At the end of the study we will bring the information back to each of the communities so that you find out what we learned. By hearing the stories of caregivers of Metis seniors we will begin to understand how Manitoba Health and MMF programs can be adapted to better meet the needs of informal caregivers and seniors in the province.