Canadians On Hospice Palliative Care

Toronto, ON - According to a new Ipsos-Reid survey conducted on behalf of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association/GlaxoSmithKline Inc., Canadians estimate that a mean average of 54 hours per week would be needed to take care of a dying loved one in their home. This estimate includes such tasks as food preparation, housekeeping, shopping and attending appointments.

Among those Canadians who estimate that it would take at least some time (more than zero hours per week) to take care of a dying loved one in their home, roughly two-thirds (64%) state that given their current schedule, they could not devote the necessary amount of time to provide this care. Meanwhile, one-third (35%) feel that they could devote this much time to provide such care for a dying loved one.

These are the findings of an Ipsos-Reid/ Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association/ GlaxoSmithKline Inc. poll conducted from December 9th to December 11th, 2003. For the telephone survey, a randomly selected sample of 1055 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to within 1773.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to the 2001 Census data.

When Canadians are asked how many hours a week they think it would take to care for a dying loved one in their home, including tasks such as food preparation, housekeeping, shopping and attending appointments, they average an estimate of 54 hours per week. Broken into ranges:

• 14% of Canadians estimate such care would take 0.5 to 12 hours,

• 21% estimate 13 to 24 hours,

• 23% estimate 25 to 48 hours,

• 12% estimate 49 to 72 hours,

• 6% estimate 73 to 96 hours,

• 4% estimate 97 to 120 hours,

• 2% estimate 121 to 144 hours, and

• 12% estimate that it would take 145 to 168 hours.

Only 1% of Canadians estimate it would take 0 hours per week, and 7% "don't know".

Among those Canadians who estimate that it would take more than zero hours per week to take care of a dying loved one in their home, roughly two-thirds (64%) state that given their current schedule, they could not devote the time it would take to provide this care. Meanwhile, one-third (35%) feel that they could devote this much time for a dying loved one.

As the amount of time Canadians estimate it would take to provide home care to a dying loved one rises, the proportion who answer "no" they could not devote this much time per week to care for a loved one also rises:

• 49% among those who estimate it would take 0.5 to 12 hours,

• 57% among those who estimate it would take 13 to 24 hours,

• 67% among those who estimate it would take 25 to 48 hours,

• 70% among those who estimate it would take 49 to 72hours

• 70% among those who estimate it would take 73 to 167 hours, and

• 73% among those who estimate it would take 168 hours.

The remaining 1% of Canadians "don't know" whether they could devote this much time to provide such care for a loved one.

Please open the attached PDF to view the factum, detailed tables, and PowerPoint presentation.

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For more information on this news release, please contact:

Yola Zdanowicz
Vice-President
Ipsos-Insight
(416) 324-2900