‘A Million Reasons to Care’ is the theme for National Carers Week (13-19 October) this week.

 

With the aim of increasing awareness of the diversity of carers in our communities, and how best to support them, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) is keen to celebrate carers and muster ideas on how to improve their lives and those they care for.

 

President of the RDAA, Dr RT Lewandowski, said that particularly in rural areas carers were essential to enabling older people to remain near family and friends for as long as possible.

 

“There are more than three million Australians providing unpaid care for a family member or friend, many of these in rural areas,” Dr Lewandowski said.

 

“The variety of care needs is immense, with every situation different. Some carers provide 24-hour nursing to a family member with high care needs while others may support people who are fairly independent. Those needing care may suffer from a disability, mental health condition, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or who are frail aged.

 

“Anyone can become a carer at any time and people become carers in different ways. Sometimes it happens gradually as more help is needed as a person's health and independence deteriorates, or it may happen very suddenly, after a health crisis (like a stroke or heart attack) or an accident.

 

“Carers are an important provider of comfort, encouragement and reassurance to the person they care for, helping them stay as independent as possible and maintain a good quality of life.

 

“In rural areas there are simply fewer options for residential care, such as aged care or respite facilities, and less access to paid carers, meaning that family and friends quickly become essential to many people being able to remain within their community. This can put an enormous amount of pressure on the carer.

 

“While for some caring is what they choose to do, others feel like they don't have any choice in their caring role. Regardless of how or why a person becomes a carer, they all share the need to balance of caring responsibilities with other responsibilities like work, study and their physical and mental health.”

Love keeps you going 

Central West resident Kay Hotham has been caring for her elderly husband for several years and says it is hard most days, but love is what keeps her going.

 

“I am 81 years old and I care for my 85 year old husband in our home, we have been married for 62 years. It is very hard to care for someone day in and day out when you are not all that well yourself, but we don’t want to go to a nursing home just yet,” she laughs.

 

“There are so many challenges as a carer, and I can only speak for myself, but I imagine a lot of carers do it out of love for partners, children and family. It is rewarding to know you are helping those you love but if truthful it is also very hard most days.”

 

Surveys of carers have shown consistently high levels of psychological distress, feelings of social isolation, higher levels of chronic health conditions and increases in financial hardship. 

With this, comes the need for families, communities, service providers, governments and employers to understand the challenges of caring so that the support options available can be continually expanded and improved.

 

“Caring can be very rewarding, but it can also be very challenging, taking a lot of time, energy and resources,” Dr Lewandowski said. “This stress can affect carers’ health and wellbeing and limit their ability to participate in paid work, family life and social and community activities.

 

“There really are ‘Millions of Reasons to Care’, but whatever the situation, carers need the ongoing support of all Australians: from government to businesses, classrooms to families, and medical professionals to communities, and caring for carers should be a priority even outside of National Carers Week.”

 

Visit carersweek.com.au

---

o find out how you can support a carer.