As we kick off Carers Week (October 13-19), we take a moment to acknowledge the vital role of carers supporting people with intellectual and associated developmental disabilities.
At Developmental Disability WA, we are dedicated to empowering carers through sharing valuable resources, insights, and support. This week, we invite you to engage with carers in your community.
Carers are people who provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have 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 anytime. And you never know if you will need the support of a carer one day.
The Carer Wellbeing Survey (Carers Australia 2024) found carers who had good access to support had healthy levels of wellbeing compared to those who had no or limited access to help.
Below are some ideas of how you can help a carer today:
- Check in regularly. You can:
- Encourage carers to talk if this is helpful to them.
- Validate their feelings without judgement.
- Avoid discussing sensitive matters in front of the care recipient as it could make them uncomfortable.
- Offer a break. You can:
- Run errands for them.
- Help with household chores like laundry, cleaning, cooking, budgeting and shopping.
- Plan a social activity together.
- Acknowledge and appreciate. You can:
- Express gratitude with a simple, personalised.
- Be a compassionate and empathetic listener.
- Verbally recognise their efforts.
- Initiate support. Carers often prioritise the well-being of the person they care for over their own needs. They might struggle to seek assistance due to a sense of guilt and shame or fear of being judged. You can:
- Ask them on how you can help them.
- Listen to what they need – don’t assume you know!
- Encourage self-care. You can:
- Share helpful resources such as health and wellbeing apps and support groups.
- Go for a walk with them.
- If you are an employer, provide carers with flexible work-arrangements.
Statistics
Carers are more than three times (3 x) more likely to report high levels of loneliness compared to the average Australian.
But, carers with good support from friends and family are 55% more likely to have healthy levels of wellbeing.
Do you know a carer? Show them you care by checking in with them regularly:
- Encourage them to talk if that’s helpful to them
- Listen. And recognise their efforts.
- Validate their feelings without judgement
More information on these ideas can be found here https://carersweek.com.au/.
Join us in recognising the strength and resilience of our carer community. Together, we can build a supportive network for all involved.
National Carers Week is an opportunity to raise community awareness among all Australians about the diversity of carers and their caring roles.
For local support, contact Carers WA: 1300 227 377 | info@carerswa.asn.au.
