Topical 17/10/24

October 13-19 is National Carers Week. More than one in ten Australians are carers, making an enormous contribution to our community and economy. The National Carers Week theme, ‘Millions of Reasons to Care’ works to increase awareness of the diversity of carers in our communities, and how best to support them. President of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia Dr RT Lewandowski said, that particularly in rural areas carers were essential to enabling many being able 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. “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 strike 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. Caring can be very rewarding, but it can also be very challenging, taking a lot of time, energy and resources. This stress can affect carers’ health and well-being 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 should be a priority even outside of National Carers Week.