Mrs. Chantal LeBlanc
Mrs. Chantal LeBlanc has a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Social Sciences from Concordia University as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from McGill University. She received a Master’s degree in Social Work from McGill University in 2009. Mrs. LeBlanc has been a professional social worker for 22 years, including 3 years in a clinical supervisory role. Her clinical practice has encompassed the areas of home care for elderly people as well as adults with physical and intellectual impairments. For the past 6 years, she has practiced in the field of oncology at the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal.
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Ms. Bonnie Tompkins
Ms. Bonnie Tompkins was the sole caregiver to her late partner, who passed away from cancer in May 2014. She recently graduated in public health from Brock University and now works with her local hospice to help increase access to needed assistance for patient and their caregivers. She is especially interested in caregivers, as she suffered caregiver burnout. Her passion is to use her late partner’s and her own experiences to help people in similar situations, hopefully lessening their stress.
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The cost of cancer can be financially burdensome. There are many cancer-based financial support options that can offset the costs associated with cancer caregiving.
Getting to and from appointments and treatments is often difficult and expensive. The Canadian Cancer Society offers financial aid to help care recipients with transportation. They also offer financial support for other expenses including certain materials and treatments.
Based on the distance you have to travel to come to the hospital, certain costs can be deducted on your income tax. Some financial aid and expenses can be submitted to cancer-based foundations for reimbursement. Be sure to keep all receipts.
Certain tax credits may apply to your situation. You can claim the caregiver amount on your tax return if you lived with a dependent who was one of the following: your or your spouse’s/common-law partner’s child or grandchild, your or your spouse’s/common-law partner’s brother, sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, parent or grandparent who resided in Canada. To find out if you can claim the caregiver amount, answer a few questions from Revenue Canada. Provincial tax credits may also apply. Speak to your financial advisor or accountant.
