Strategic pillars of the Quebec Observatory on Caregiving
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CALL 811 (Info-Santé/Info-Social). If you need support or have concerns or questions about your health or that of a family member or friend, call 811 to speak to a nurse or psychosocial worker. Bilingual and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it’s free and confidential.
If you would like to speak with a professional specializing in caregiving regarding a difficult situation, obtain referrals, or ask questions, contact the Caregiver Support Service at L’Appui.
To find community resources offering caregiving information and support near you, consult l’Appui’s Resource Directory or Proche aidance Québec's list of member organizations (in French only).
Four key pillars
Activities at the Observatory are structured around four strategic pillars. Complementary and interrelated, these different areas correspond to the functions conferred to the Observatory under the Act to recognize and support caregivers.
Knowledge monitoring and production
This pillar largely concerns how information is consolidated within the Observatory.
Focused on the multiple facets of caregiving, it tracks the evolution, not just of caregiver needs and realities, but also of the best practices and the innovative measures and actions in effect both nationally and internationally.
It also focuses on gathering and analyzing a wide range of data — particularly statistical data — to generate reliable, essential and relevant knowledge around caregiving. This is accomplished through multiple approaches and methods that include monitoring current knowledge as well as analysis, evaluation and knowledge sharing.
Combining and integrating the knowledge of its varied target audiences and contributors (caregivers, health and social services professionals, scientific community, decision-makers) is what lets the Observatory issue new and relevant findings to better support and inform decision-making, research and action for all caregiving stakeholders.
A few achievements
In tandem with its expert advisory committee members and target audiences, the Observatory regularly identifies priority topics to focus its publications and activities To find out more about our current priority topics, sign up to our newsletter.
Caregiving is a complex subject encompassing diverse realities that are not always understood in the same way or to the same degree by society, stakeholders, or even caregivers themselves. The Observatory is seeking to mitigate this situation by working with caregivers, professionals, government authorities and researchers to develop a shared language and specific terminology around caregiving.
At present, there are no Quebec statistics with which to comprehensively identify caregiver characteristics or measure their health and wellness in any detail. As per Measure 2 of the 2021–2026 government action plan for caregivers, the Observatory is currently working with the health surveillance division of the health and social services ministry (MSSS) to produce a portrait of Quebec’s caregivers by 2026. the Observatory is currently working with the health surveillance division of the health and social services ministry (MSSS) to produce a portrait of Quebec’s caregivers by 2026.
Knowledge mobilization and transfer
This pillar encompasses all efforts to distribute the knowledge amassed by the Observatory to its various target audiences.
These audiences are:
- Caregivers
- Non-governmental organizations
- Government authorities
- The scientific community
- The health and social services network
- The general public
The flow of knowledge is two-way, since the Observatory’s publications and activities are also informed by its various target audiences. Indeed, their active participation and regular input ensures, not just the relevance of the Observatory’s output, but also that the knowledge produced remains accessible to all and will be shared in a timely manner through the appropriate channels.
Much as with our actions to monitor and produce knowledge, our activities around this pillar aim to raise awareness, stimulate action, inform decision-making and drive research aimed at improving the quality life of caregivers and better equipping those who support them.
A few achievements
Inspired by promising strategies and tools, and informed by its knowledge monitoring and production activities, the Observatory continues to generate and share original, user-friendly and attractive publications in differing formats to keep its target audiences abreast of the latest advancements in caregiving knowledge.
Open to all and free of charge, the Observatory’s website serves as a platform for distributing its own publications as well as for amplifying the actions of and sharing publications from other caregiving stakeholders.
Complementing the website are the Observatory’s newsletter and social media presence, both of which help engage its target audiences and keep them informed on the latest caregiving knowledge from Quebec and elsewhere.
Stakeholder relations
This pillar concerns the activities and structures created to foster dialogue and collaboration with all caregiving stakeholders and encourage their engagement with the Observatory. This pillar is cross-cutting in the sense that its actions inform the other pillars.
As a rallying point, the Observatory is a unifying structure where knowledge can be pooled and efforts can be aligned among the various actors both in Quebec and elsewhere, with a view to fostering mutual support and making more largely known current efforts in the field of caregiving.
This cooperative outlook involves the many different groups and individuals who have a stake in caregiving: caregivers, the scientific community, government decision-makers, community organizations, and health & social services practitioners and other professionals.
The pillar's aims are given concrete form through the Observatory’s various structures (committees, project teams, working groups, partnerships) and consultation strategies.
A few achievements
Pour avoir une vue d’ensemble sur les différents acteurs en proche aidance et sur les autres organismes ou personnes qui pourraient être intéressés par sa mission, l’Observatoire tient à jour une cartographie de ses parties prenantes, c’est-à-dire un tableau qui décrit, notamment, leur mandat, leur rôle et les activités qu’ils réalisent.
De plus, chaque année, l’Observatoire multiplie les occasions de rencontrer ces divers acteurs en proche aidance, soit en organisant des réunions ou des événements (ex: colloques, journées de réflexion) ou en acceptant leurs invitations à de telles activités. Cela permet à l’Observatoire de mieux les connaître et d’explorer les opportunités de travailler avec eux sur des projets ou sur des initiatives en faveur des personnes proches aidantes.
Riche de ces échanges, l’Observatoire a développé un modèle de collaboration et de partenariat intersectoriels qui sert à décrire les liens qu’entretient l’Observatoire avec ses parties prenantes ainsi que son processus pour favoriser des activités de collaboration et de partenariat mutuellement bénéfiques.
Expertise and advising
Expertise and advising describes the process through which the Observatory draws on its accumulated caregiving knowledge, skills and know-how to assess, advise or recommend improvements, particularly to decision-makers in different sectors.
Article 36 of the Act to recognize and support caregivers states that the Observatory “enlightens the Minister by finding and reporting on current knowledge and trends, or those to be developed, concerning evaluation approaches and indicators to measure the quality of life, health and well-being of caregivers, and to measure the impact of the policy directions, measures and actions set out in the national policy for caregivers and the government action plan.”
Dans son rôle d’expertise-conseil, l’Observatoire conserve son autonomie vis-à-vis de toutes instances politiques, publiques et privées. Ses avis, conseils et recommandations en matière de proche aidance sont produits à partir d’un processus rigoureux basé sur des informations fiables et pertinentes ainsi que sur l’intégration de divers savoirs.
A few achievements
L’Observatoire souhaite développer sa crédibilité et sa notoriété au fil du temps afin d’être reconnu comme un acteur autonome possédant une expertise et une perspective capable de soutenir et éclairer les décideurs intersectoriels.
Tel que prévu dans son plan de développement stratégique 2022-2026, l'Observatoire a élaboré un Cadre de référence de l'expertise-conseil. Ce cadre formalise une vision et une définition commune de l'expertise-conseil, et précise l'expertise spécifique et la valeur ajoutée de l’Observatoire pour soutenir la décision gouvernementale. Il présente également le processus général encadrant la production d’orientations ou de recommandations.
To explore this section further
About the Quebec Observatory on Caregiving
Mission and functions
Vision and values
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