Project: Chinese Caregivers Network

The Chinese Caregiver Network (CCN) is a partnership across health and social service providers and caregivers with a common goal to advocate and promote networking, education, information sharing and capacity building among caregivers in the Chinese community. In the summer of 2014, five community members created digital stories about their own experiences related to chronic disease and family caregiving. Funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation, this project aimed to give voice to family caregivers through artistic expression, recognize the dedication and contributions of family members caring for their loved ones, and create a visual tool to help decision makers, service providers and the public understand the experiences of and challenges faced by family caregivers. The five stories cover a wide variety of topics, including chronic vascular diseases, dementia, stroke recovery, bereavement and the complex impact of the immigration process on one’s health and family. The Chinese Caregiver Network presented the 2015 “Voices of the Unsung Heroes” Digital Stories Screening and Family Caregiver Forum 2015 that included a screening of the digital stories and a moderated discussion on the contributions and needs of family caregivers.

“We hoped the “Voice of the Unsung Hero” project would capture the emotions, struggles, resilience and love that family members experience while taking care of their loved ones who were suffering chronic health conditions. Thanks to Jennifer and her team, although speaking different languages, all storytellers found the workshops very empowering and the results are beyond our expectation.”
Project organizer, Heart & Stroke Foundation

“Thank you for such a great opportunity to participate in a meaningful and innovative community engagement/building project! I learned a lot indeed.”
Chinese Caregiver Network partner