This document provides an update on the Siblings Australia Adult Sibling Project (funded through a grant from the Julia Farr MS McLeod Benevolent Fund). It was prepared by Kate Strohm.
Why is this Project important?
The Project is aiming to develop strategies and resources which will support adult siblings, both in relation to any of their own emotional issues and also in their role as a support person to a brother or sister living with disability. It is hoped the project can contribute to helping to maintain and / or strengthen relationships between adult siblings and their brother or sister living with disability.
In the current ageing population it is likely to be the siblings who will have the longest relationship. Having a positive, strong relationship with a sibling may add to the quality of life of the person living with disability.
You can check the Siblings Australia web site for more information about the Project at www.siblingsaustralia.org.au/ps_cprojects.asp.
Recent Adult sibling project activities
Our previous email update talked about the Focus Groups which were run for Adult Siblings to let us know their needs now and into the future. As highlighted in those sessions, adult siblings would like information about a number of issues related to future planning, including legal and financial issues, models of funding & accommodation options etc.
Information Session
Based on feedback from Adult Siblings at the Focus groups we planned an Information Session focusing on “Legal Issues for Adult Siblings” of people living with disability. The session was held on 26 March 2009 at 7pm at DIRC and presented by Ian Bidmeade, AM. Ian is a legal consultant with a particular interest in the areas of health and disability. The session was attended by 20 people. Ian presented information about the Guardianship Board, the Office of the Public Advocate, Wills and Financial Trusts. Ian’s presentation concentrated on these issues from the perspective of Adult Siblings and the roles they might play in the lives of their brother or sister living with disability.
Those who attended the session gave positive feedback about the relevance and quality of the session. Some comments about what was useful in the session included;
“Exposure to legal terms and overview of [Guardianship] boards and roles in the law”,
“Defining roles of siblings – legal and chosen”
“Clarification of need for will and provisions to include in will”.
Participants expressed an interest in knowing more about Future Planning for their brother or sister living with disability, legal issues and Advocacy.
Where to from here?
Consulting people living with disability
We plan to talk to people living with disability about their relationship with their sibling(s). We hope to find out which factors contribute to maintaining strong relationships between people living with disability and their siblings and which factors contribute to a negative experience of the sibling relationship.
We have developed an Information Sheet for parents/carers/guardians of people living with disability, an Easy English Information Sheet for people with an intellectual disability / cognitive impairment and an Information Sheet for people living with disability.
We are looking to interview or survey people living with disability either in small groups or individually about their perceptions of their relationship with their siblings.
Further Information Sessions
We are having discussions about future information sessions to be held for adult siblings based on the feedback from participants at the Information Session held in March. Please contact us if you are interested in attending Information Sessions or you have ideas on topics that need to be addressed.
Written resources
We are developing brochures for adult siblings on a number of topics. If you would like to review these and provide feedback please let us know and we will send you a copy.
Siblings Australia ‘Creating Connections’ National Conference November 09
In late 2004 Siblings Australia hosted the first national conference on sibling issues and attracted 140 delegates, including 10 from overseas. We are repeating this conference in November this year in Adelaide and we are planning on including a full adult sibling stream, covering many topics of relevance to adult siblings. You can register your interest at http://sapmea.asn.au/siblings09/
Sibchat
If you would like to make contact with other adult siblings please consider joining Sibchat, our online forum for adult siblings. We have members from around Australia but also from the UK, Sweden and the Czech Republic!! Visit http://www.siblingsaustralia.org.au/forum/register.asp and register
How can you help?
There are a number of ways in which you might help.
Consulting People Living with Disability
If you are a person living with disability please make contact and we will send you the information sheets so that you can decide whether to participate in our consultations.
If you have a family member living with disability who might be interested in taking part in the project make contact and we will send you information sheets about the project so that your family member can decide whether to participate in the project.
If you are a service provider, you could identify people living with disability in your service who might be interested in taking part in either a group or individual discussion about their relationship with their brother or sister. Make contact with us and we will send you information sheets about the project so that individuals (and/or their parents/guardians) can decide whether to participate in the project.
Parents & Friends Groups
We are keen to present information about the project to, and gain feedback from, “Parent & Friends” or similar groups.
Consumer Groups
We are keen to present information and gain feedback from “Consumer Groups” for people living with disability.
If you are interested in being involved in the project in any way please contact;
Kate Strohm (Director, Siblings Australia) 0408 720 558 or email kate@siblingsaustralia.org.au,
Vicky Waldren (Project Officer) on 0418811238 or email vickyw@internode.on.net.
Thank you in advance for your support
Kate & Vicky
Kate Strohm
Executive Director
siblings: acknowledged, connected, resilient.
ph: 08 83571214
mob: 0408 720 558
23a King William Road, Unley, SA 5061
kate@siblingsaustralia.org.au
www.siblingsaustralia.org.au
