The Disability Information and Resource Centre

From 1 July Carers Australia begins its Registration and Information Service for the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative funded by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs. This service will be delivered at 23 sites across Australia, reaching urban, remote and regional families. Qualified advisors will assist families to access early intervention services for their child.

Full details can be read here.

Carers Australia are holding a massage and health and well-being session for working carers.

Date: 6-8pm Wednesday 30th June 2010

Location: Carers SA, 58 King William Rd, Goodwood SA

RSVP by 28th June

Contact 1800 242 636

Full details here.

Carers Australia are proud to announce the Young Carers Online Competition! Entry is open to all young people under the age of 26, who are young carers or who have been young carers. You can win one of 6 $250 JB Hi-Fi vouchers.

All you need to do is answer in 25 words or less, if you had 5 minutes with a politician, what would you tell them about the needs of young carers? Young carers are eligible to enter as many times as they like.

To enter, go to www.reachout.com/carers. The competition closes on Sunday May 9 2010 at midnight (EST). Competition terms and conditions are available on the website.

The competition is a partnership between Carers Australia and the Inspire Foundation (who host the Reach Out website). All entrants have the opportunity to receive a Young Carers Kit. Winners of the JB Hi-Fi vouchers will be determined by a judging panel that includes one young carer. All entries will be complied into a report to be presented to government.

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Nicole Walker from Carers Australia on 02 6122 9916.

In early April, Carers Australia and the Inspire Foundation hosted a Digital Storytelling Workshop for 6 young carers from remote areas of SA, NT and WA.

If you would like to check out the films, please go to the Reach Out You Tube channel at

http://www.youtube.com/user/ReachOutAus

or go to the Reach Out website

http://au.reachout.com/find/issues/family-friends-relationships/supporting-family-member?kt=all&mt=video&page=2

Carers Australia have put out the following media release:

From disadvantage to equality for young carers?

It’s Youth Week 2010. Another 12 months has passed and young carers remain disadvantaged.

Across Australia around 380,000 young people under the age of 25 are providing unpaid care and assistance for family members with a chronic illness, disability, mental illness, who are frail aged or who have alcohol or other drug problems.

Carers Australia CEO Joan Hughes said “Young carers make a significant contribution to Australia’s economy by easing the financial burden on government across the health and community care sectors.”

“The care they provide can help people stay out of residential facilities and enhance the quality of life for the person for whom they are caring.”

A lot of young carers are proud of who they are and what they do. Sometimes though, they face challenges and it can be tough. It can affect how they feel, how much time they spend with their friends, how they manage their schoolwork, or holding down a job.

Youth Week is a time to think about and acknowledge young carers in our community.

“We want all young carers to be able to reach their full potential,,“ said Ms Hughes.

The government needs to urgently increase the support available to young carers, particularly in the areas of education and employment. Their caring should not restrict their ability to achieve their personal goals.

The government’s recent social inclusion report A Stronger Fairer Australia identified young carers as likely to be at particular risk of long-term disadvantage and social exclusion because of their caring responsibilities and emphasised the importance of identification and support.

Often young carers are unable to fully engage in many of the activities that other young people take for granted. For many young carers, flexible and supportive care and respite, education and employment policies are key factors in improving financial independence and social development.

Another 12 months cannot pass without real change for young carers.

Their future is now.

Carers Australia is the recognised national voice of Australian carers. Our members are the carers associations in each state and territory. We have no political affiliation. We work with all parties to achieve better outcomes for all carers.

We believe that all carers are entitled to the same rights, choices and opportunities as other Australians.

Phil Saunders

Policy Project Officer

Carers SA

PO Box 410 Unley SA 5061

08 8291 5600

Australia needs a new national plan to care for and support people needing care, including people with a disability, the CEO of Carers Australia, Ms Joan Hughes, said yesterday.
She said issues involving helping those who needed care went much wider than people with a disability alone. Her comments follow statements by a long time campaigner for disability rights, Dr Rhonda Galbally, on a government report on families and those with disability. [ 7 Oct ]
Australia has some 2.6 million carers. They support family members and friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness or who are frail.
“Dr Galbally was correct to point out the flaws in education offered to children with a disability and the lag in the education revolution reaching them,” Ms Hughes said.
“We support a national disability insurance scheme but with a slightly broader focus. We need a scheme that incorporates all those needing care and their carers too.
“We need a National Care and Support Scheme which provides for both people with a disability and those needing care, but a comprehensive plan that also includes the carers themselves.”
Recent studies, such as the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (Oct 2008) report, showed that carers were consistently financially disadvantaged by caring. Consequently, many carers are obliged to return to work to top up their retirement income.
“What we are lacking is a national, co-ordinated plan to look after carers and those they care for,” Ms Hughes said.
“Research shows that carers, especially female carers, have consistently poor financial outcomes.
“Carers are sacrificing their future in order to care for someone, often a spouse or child, who would otherwise require more comprehensive care and possibly full-time residential care.”
A co-ordinated, national program would include a National Care and Support Scheme but would also provide national leadership on issues such as caring, disability and superannuation coverage for carers.
“Leadership is essential to ensure that enough is being done and that what is done is well-directed,” Ms Hughes said.
“The National Disability and Carer Alliance, of which we are part, combines several peak bodies and other groups and we’re an obvious choice for inclusion in that leadership team.
“Priorities in the health system cannot be allowed to drift aimlessly. We need to recognise the challenges that exist and ensure we tackle them.”
Contacts: Alison Kemmis, 02 6122 9917 or 0417 604 305

Some suggestions from Carers Australia on ways carers may like to celebrate or ways that others might like to acknowledge them.

Visit. Share. Celebrate.

The Carers Week website, www.carersweek.com.au is a great place to start think about what you’re doing for Carers Week, 18 – 24 October. So, take a little time to come and VISIT us online. Read about carers, who they are, what they do. There’s more of us than you realised!

While all visitors are welcome, carers themselves are especially welcome. That includes those visitors who, by stopping by and reading, understand more about carers. Tell us your stories. SHARE a slice of your life as a carer. You can do that anonymously if you wish. Please mention your state and region.

Take time to CELEBRATE. If you’re a carer, this week is for YOU! You work hard and care heaps and you deserve some care, attention and TLC. So take time to allow yourself to be taken to lunch, or for a cuppa, to celebrate the caring you do.

Find out what is happening for Carers Week nationally and locally through the state and territory events listings at www.carersweek.com.au/09/events.html. If you’re organising an event — even if it’s taking your carer neighbour out for coffee — please let us know by emailing carersweek@carersaustralia.com.au.

Visit the forums and share your stories and experiences  There are special sections to discuss caring and living in the Bush; a space for the community to send a message to carers in Community Participation; discussing financial impacts of caring; Health and Wellbeing; juggling work and care; and a special section for those under 25yrs (young carers). But it’s also time to tell others. So they hear where we’re at, good and bad, city and country, regional and pastoral.

Carers Week is a “multi-function” event!

June 24, 2009

The national program for Young Carers in Australia is in crisis, according to Carers Australia CEO Joan Hughes.

She was speaking at the launch of the “Bring It! 2008″ forum report which recommends steps to better support and recognise Australia’s young carers. Young carers are carers under 26 who support family members and friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic conditions, terminal illness or who are frail. There are some 380,000 young carers, including 170,600 under the age of 18.

“Young Carers are in urgent need of support and assistance if they are to have the same rights, choices and opportunities as other young Australians,” Ms Hughes said.

“Young carers can’t wait until the next Budget for help. To delay any longer is to risk sacrificing the future of these caring young people who make such as difference to our society.”

“The government has talked a lot about social inclusion, education and training. No additional funds were allocated in the recent Budget to extend the Young Carer Program and better help young carers. ”

The “Bring It! 2008″ forum report shows that carers need continuing, flexible support and services, equal access to these as well as services that are culturally and age appropriate and based on best practice.

The report urges all professional groups and agencies to have policies and guidelines which clearly include young carers. Likewise, mandatory awareness training across all groups who deal with carers, including doctors, teachers, social workers and those in hospitals and the health industry.

“It has some great recommendations from participants including young carers, such as a ‘no wrong door’ policy which means that no matter how the person or family comes in contact with government and support agencies, they should get appropriate help,” Ms Hughes said.

“It also recommends a ‘whole of family’ approach, so that the whole family’s needs are assessed, regardless of which family member first contacts an agency.

“Sadly, some agencies can forget that young carers can have adult-sized responsibilities when caring, and they aren’t always treated with dignity and respect by all areas of government.”

Ms Hughes said young carers were the future of our society, yet we were “ignoring their very real needs as carers.”