Carers are relatives or friends who are caring for people with disabilities, mental illness / disorder, chronic illness or who are frail.
The role of a carer can be challenging, balancing the demands of one’s own life with that of caring for another. Some carers are caring for multiple people and some care for others living elsewhere, travelling between two homes to manage both.
Chris, STEPS’ Coordinator of the Care for Carer’s program in the Bundaberg/Wide Bay region, said carers are a valuable, and often silent, asset to every community. She said that in their roles, carers show diversity, flexibility, spontaneity, together with the need to be highly organized, structured, on time, available, and responsive. “Carers are by far the greatest resource for support and are heard from the least,” said Chris. “Research shows us that carers are crying ‘inwardly’ not reaching out.”
Through the Care for Carers Program STEPS is developing services across the Wide Bay region, incorporating Bundaberg, North and South Burnett and Fraser Coast, to support carers improve the quality of their own lives. STEPS is providing advice and counselling, support and education and above all else, permission to have a break. The program achieved a significant milestone recently by setting up peer support and weekly individual counselling sessions in Bundaberg, Gin Gin, Maryborough and Hervey Bay. Chris said that the feedback from carers has been overwhelmingly supportive, with referrals increasing through word-of-mouth.
“One-on-one, face-to-face service provision has been the preferred mode of service provision requested by far,” she said. “Phone support and group support is on offer with plans to offer social outings in each area in the near future.”
The Care for Carers program is a joint Federal and State funded program funded through Home and Community Care (HACC), and offers a proactive support for carers, seeking to alleviate premature admittance into residential care for Care Recipients.
