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Support Programs

Caregiver Relief Program

The Caregiver Relief Program is committed to provide relief to families and primary caregivers of acquired brain injury survivors. We strive to provide accessible care by presenting an array of options for caregiver relief services, which ensure unique individual needs are met.

The Caregiver Relief Program supports families by providing PSW services for 4 hours, once per week, for a maximum period of 12 consecutive months. Services offered by our Caregiver Relief Program include but may not be limited to:

1. Attendant Care (e.g., personal care, completion of household tasks like laundry or cooking, supervision/support within the home to allow caregiver to leave ensuring safety for loved one).

2. Community Social Support (e.g., assistance accessing community programs or activities, both attending & participating)

Individuals receiving Caregiver Relief from BIAPH are caring for an individual with a primary diagnosis of acquired brain injury (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke, vasculitis). Due to funding limitations and our mandate, we do not provide services to individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., Autism, Developmental Disability, Cerebral Palsy, etc.)

Please note, the Caregiver Relief Program cannot be used for the funding of active therapy or neurorehabilitation interventions (e.g., Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation Support Worker). The purpose of the program is to provide relief for caregivers of individuals with acquired brain injury. As such, formal therapeutic goals are not expected to be met through BIAPH’s services and service providers are not expected to carry out therapeutic goals with the client.

1. Application Procedure:

Please complete our online application form. A formal referral is not required, applications can be made by a caregiver, survivor, family members, or professionals (e.g., family physician, psychologist, social worker, etc.).

Additional documentation such as medical records regarding the acquired brain injury diagnosis will be required during intake. Alternatively, a Medical Status Form can be completed by a medical professional (family physician, neurologist, social worker, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, etc.) who confirms the presence of an acquired brain injury.

2. Decision Process:

Once the application is received, a member of the Caregiver Relief Committee will review the application and conduct an intake interview with the individual applying for the program. Once the intake interview is complete, the Caregiver Relief Committee member will discuss the application to make a decision on services.  

Funding decisions are made on a case by case basis and the availability of Caregiver Relief funding from BIAPH’s yearly fundraising. Due to funding limitations, the Caregiver Relief Program cannot guarantee immediate service provision to all those who have been approved for service. It is possible that clients may be placed onto a wait list until additional funding becomes available.

3. Service Provision: 

The program provides a maximum of 4 hours once per week, per client. Service provider policy is set by the contracted provider. Most providers require 24-hour notification to cancel or reschedule. In cases where this is not provided, BIAPH is required to pay for the cancelled/rescheduled session, which further limits funding. As such, to avoid paying for services that are not provided, BIAPH reserves the right to discontinue services to clients who show a pattern of last minute cancellations or reschedules. Barring extenuating circumstances, if this occurs three times over the course of the 12-month contract, we retain the right to discontinue services. 

If clients/families know that they will not be utilizing service for extended periods (e.g., month-long vacation, prolonged hospitalization, etc.), we ask that they contact our office to notify us of this change.  Services may commence when the client returns home, however the arrangement would still end 12 months after initial start date.

If a client/family goes longer than 3 months without using services or contacting the Caregiver Relief Committee, they will receive notification that services are going to be discontinued and reallocated to a client/family on our waitlist.

4. Service Duration/Discontinuation:

Clients/families will receive services for a 12-month period ending one year from the original date services commenced. After completion of the 12 months, the client/family is eligible to request a continuation of services. Written requests can be sent to caregiver@biaph.com.

More Information

If you have additional questions regarding our Caregiver Relief Program or our organization, please click the button below to fill out the Google form.

The information provided will be reviewed and a BIAPH representative will be in touch about your questions.

Join the Program

If you feel you meet the requirements for this program and you don’t have further questions at this time, please click ‘Join Now’ to complete our initial intake form to begin the application process. The information provided will be reviewed by our Caregiver Relief committee and a BIAPH representative will be in touch about your application.

The Yuri Mutiger Memorial Fund

The BIAPH Caregiver Relief Program was first established in 2005 via proceeds from the Yuri Mutiger Memorial Fund. Yuri was a brain injury survivor who passed away in May 2003, after struggling with the devastating effects of his brain injury. For ten years Yuri’s family and friends organized an annual memorial golf tournament called the Golf 4 Yuri Tournament. All proceeds from the tournaments were donated to BIAPH and mandated for the Caregiver Relief Program.
The BIAPH Caregiver Relief program is now solely supported by BIAPH fundraising activities, donations and corporate sponsorships. It receives no government funding but instead relies on the generosity of those in the community who are passionate about providing such an important service to this population. BIAPH and our community offer sincere thanks to those who dedicate their time and contribute so generously to the Caregiver Relief fund.