ACTCOSS is celebrating National Carers Week (16-22 October), a time to recognise the carers in our community and raise awareness for the impact and importance of caring. The theme of Carers Week 2022 is ‘Millions of Reasons to Care’ and points to the need for the community to come together in support of the incredible carers among us.
Carers are friends or family members who care for people with disabilities, mental illnesses, drug or alcohol dependency, older people, children or people with other conditions requiring additional support. The 2022 Carer Wellbeing Report [pdf] noted that there are approximately 2.65 million carers in Australia who provide unpaid day-to-day support and care. The report highlighted that 55.2% of carers have low levels of wellbeing (as compared to 25.4% of other Australians).
The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) echoes Carers ACT’s calls for community awareness, appreciation and practical support for carers. This could include offering help by making a meal, providing respite by staying with the person they care for, sharing a coffee or maintaining connection to reduce feelings of isolation.
ACTCOSS Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Gemma Killen said: “Raising awareness for the role that carers play and the impact of caring in Canberra is vital. The Carer Wellbeing Survey and Report makes it abundantly clear that carers are not being adequately supported and as a result are struggling with poor wellbeing and quality of life outcomes.
“Carers play a particularly important role for marginalised or disadvantaged people in our community and we need to support them as they care for those in need.
“We know that the impacts of COVID-19 have exacerbated existing difficulties for those with caring responsibilities including; reduced social interaction, difficulty accessing appointments, increased caregiving responsibilities, delays accessing services and appointments, and reduced access to formal and social support mechanisms.
“When carers have better access to support they have better health, financial and wellbeing outcomes. We encourage the ACT community to mark National Carers Week by showing support for the carers in their lives, and we urge the ACT Government to ensure accessible formal supports for carers are consistently prioritised”, concluded Dr Killen.
