McGill Cares: Young Caregivers - Hidden Responsibilities, Remarkable Resilience

Join us on October 14, 2026 at noon for the next McGill Cares webcast to support informal caregivers. During candid, 30-minute interviews with leading experts, Claire Webster explores topics related to caring for a loved one with dementia. 

McGill Cares: Young Caregivers - Hidden Responsibilities, Remarkable Resilience 

Oliver Fitzpatrick is a public health advocate, caregiver, and Partnerships and Knowledge Translation Specialist at the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. He is committed to advancing awareness, support and empowerment for caregivers, with a particular focus on the experiences and needs of young caregivers. He has worked across non-profit and grassroots movements, fostering intersectoral collaborations on issues including disability justice, care and 2SLGBTQIA+ student advocacy. 

Drawing on both his professional experience and his own experiences as a caregiver to a chronically ill friend and to his partner with a disability, Oliver brings a personal and informed perspective to the realities of young caregiving. Before joining the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, he helped establish young caregiver services at AMI-Quebec and contributed to the growing young caregiver movement in Canada through awareness and policy initiatives. He holds a BA in Public Health with a focus on Disability Studies from the University of Victoria and was the recipient of the 2023 Young Caregiver Advocate Award. 

During this special McGill Cares webcast, Oliver Fitzpatrick will discuss the often-unseen realities of young caregiving and the important roles young people may take on when supporting a family member, friend or loved one living with an illness, disability, mental health challenge or other care need. He will reflect on the challenges and strengths associated with young caregiving, including its potential impact on education, relationships, emotional well-being and future plans. Together, Claire and Oliver will explore how greater awareness, peer-based support and meaningful resources can help young caregivers feel recognized, supported and empowered. 

This free webcast will be available in English and French. 

Registration is not required. Links to watch this episode will be posted here when they are available.
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McGill Cares is supported by the Amelia Saputo Community Outreach for Dementia Care.  

McGill Cares is an initiative of the McGill Dementia Education Program, which is funded by private donations. To contribute or for more information about our program, please visit http://www.mcgill.ca/dementia.  This page also contains a link to trusted resources specific to dementia.      

If you have any topics or questions that you would like us to address during our weekly webcasts, please email us at dementia [at] mcgill.ca