Page 504 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 23 February 2010
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The role of carers has been in the media spotlight of late. In particular, media stories have focused on the unending worry of older Australians who are the primary source of care for their adult children with a disability. The main question they have is what will happen to their children when they are gone or are unable to care for themselves. Who will take on the responsibilities that they have had for the entire life of their child, and can they be assured that this care is adequate and ongoing?
As one carer said to me recently, the health system, which is barely able to cope now, would collapse within days if carers stopped doing what they currently do. Indeed, in their response to the budget consultation, Carers ACT state:
The contribution made by family carers to the ACT economy has been conservatively estimated in 2005 to be in excess of $524.6 million per annum; if formal care services were used to replace contributions made by families in providing the care to people who are unable to live independently. Yet, the delivery of this highly valuable service to the ACT community does not come without a cost to families.
The response goes on to say:
ACT residents who are providing care often incur significant financial and wellbeing costs due to the impact of the caring role (regardless of whether for a person with a disability, a chronic illness or condition, a person with mental illness, a person with palliative care needs or a family member who is frail and aged). National research projects have consistently identified that carers are an at risk group for negative wellbeing, as they have higher than average rates of depression, chronic illness, injury and poverty due to the physical, emotional and financial demands of the caring role.
The ACT Government needs to identify Carers as a priority group in their own right. It needs to deliver targeted health promotion and early intervention strategies to reduce the demand on health and community services from preventable conditions at a time when unsustainable demand is a critical issue due to the ageing population.
“Unsustainable demand” and “unmet need” are two sets of words that I have heard repeated throughout the disability and community sector in many forums.
Another issue that is ongoing for carers is respite and residential care provision. As members will be aware, the health committee has announced an inquiry into respite services, the terms of reference of which are: to inquire into and report on government and non-government respite care services in the ACT, with particular reference to the Auditor-General’s report No 3 of 2009, Management of respite services in the ACT; the needs of care recipients, including children, teenagers and adults with a disability, elderly people, people with mental health issues and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their carers; the needs of staff who provide respite care, including working conditions and training; the range, availability and suitability of respite care services, including any unmet need; the interaction between government and non-government providers of respite care; and the experience of service users who utilise government and non-government providers of respite care. I look forward to discussing and listening to the issues that face carers in terms of respite care as the health committee progresses through the process of this inquiry.
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